Conclusion: Implications for Theory, Policy and Practice

Abstract

This book stems from the motivation to shift the vision of international education towards a constructive role in ethical development. The book is an attempt to illustrate, through research, how we can consider international students’ perspectives about themselves as ends not just as means in the development process – who are knowledge producers as well as knowledge consumers, who can critically examine their roles in society and contribute to national development of their countries in ways they see valuable. Along this vision, and in consideration of the large population of international students from Asian developing countries, this book set out to understand the outcomes and benefits of acquired international education for Vietnamese graduates upon returning home. To address this central objective, the book has two main aims: to understand the types of overseas-acquired skills, knowledge and attributes that Vietnamese graduate returnees can utilise in their professional career, academic career and community development activities and to understand the impacts of acquired overseas education for these returnees in their chosen work and community activities. The research presented in this book is preliminary and certainly presents an incomplete understanding of the outcomes and benefits of acquired international education for Vietnamese overseas-educated returnees. However, it offers empirical groundwork and an innovative conceptual framework to further explore these phenomena. This conclusion chapter synthesises the key empirical findings and theoretical explications to address the two main aims and key arguments of the book. It outlines the key contributions and considerations in applying the Sen-Bourdieu framework to conduct future research in related areas. The final part offers some suggestions for further research about international education and returnees in the development context.