The Importance of Studying Abroad for a Sustainable Education: Research on Mongolian Student Opinions

Abstract

Student mobility and internationalization of universities have become an important issue for empowering young people and cultural exchange, in line with the quest for implementing a sustainable education. The young generation of Mongolia has a strong desire to study in foreign universities. The aim of this paper is to analyze the opinions of Mongolian learners on studying abroad as displaying the characteristics of sustainable education. According to our quantitative research, a large percentage of university students are very interested in participating in the ERASMUS mobility program of the European Union. However, there are certain challenges to getting into the program, especially for scholars studying in isolated areas who have limited opportunities to obtain scholarship information. As for the graduates from Mongolia who have already participated in the program, their satisfaction with the program is high. The research found that quality education was the most appraised benefit, while the language barrier posed the main challenge during studying abroad, followed by adaptation to the teaching methods of the host university. Findings show that mobile students developed their academic knowledge and enjoyed experiencing new places and cultures. They also acknowledged improving their professional skills for their future careers and adopting a more sustainable lifestyle.