International Scholarship Programs and Home Country Economic and Social Development: Comparing Georgian and Moldovan Alumni Experiences of Giving Back""

Abstract

International higher education scholarships have been viewed as effective tools for the development of low- and middle-income countries. The implied logic is that a country’s top students gain knowledge overseas and return to “give back” to their home countries, thereby spurring economic and social change. This comparative study examined the ways that alumni of international scholarship programs perceive their experiences of “giving back” to their home countries following their Master’s studies in the United States, with a focus on comparing the experiences of program participants from the Republics of Georgia and Moldova. Based on interviews with 20 alumni from each country – across a range of programs, years of participation, and U.S. host universities – this qualitative study found that Georgian and Moldovan alumni had different experiences in their attempts to “give back” and that these experiences were influenced by the specific contextual factors of the home country. Differences between countries included alumni rate of return to their home country, types of employment sought, and varied perceptions of “giving back” based on location of residence (living in the country compared to living overseas). In terms of home country contextual factors that influence scholarship program graduates, two factors emerged as having a significant sway on how alumni perceived their contributions to national development: 1) national government reform and revolution (including government salaries, the workplace culture, and the level of perceived corruption), and 2) the number and vibrancy of alumni networks. These findings are intended to provide greater insight into the experiences of scholarship program alumni and to aid program funders, administrators, and alumni themselves in better understanding the relationship between international scholarship programs and economic and social change in the students’ home countries, with an ultimate goal of building better programs and setting realistic expectations for program success.