The second factor contributing to a reduction in global inequality, according to the author, is the increase in the number of students from various countries (more than half of this increase comes from China and India). In many Western countries, government support for higher education is declining. Consequently, the American model—based on a high proportion of private funding—is gaining popularity, even though it has repeatedly been criticized in various countries for its unfairness and for reducing the efficiency of spending. Income inequality is becoming less dependent on the presence of a higher education, as background and social connections play an increasingly important role, especially in societies with a highly educated population.
Thus, although on average worldwide the level of inequality in higher education is gradually declining, this trend is unlikely to offset the problem of rising inequality in many countries. As a result, the higher education sector is under pressure from two sides: on the one hand, competition is increasing at the global level, and on the other, universities are increasingly facing criticism for their local activities. Universities that chase high rankings in international rankings while neglecting their national identity face the harshest criticism.
More than ten years ago, scholars predicted that globalization would lead to economic “imbalances,” which, in turn, would have a devastating effect on social cohesion; therefore, globalization requires a rebalancing. In this regard, universities were encouraged to expand their mission toward internationalization, inclusivity, and educational accessibility, and to embrace the idea of diversity as the key to success in the global information society. Such universities are considered truly international and multicultural educational environments.
International student mobility is one of the priority areas for the development of the modern global higher education system and the expansion of educational services exports. Today, there is a significant imbalance worldwide between countries that send and those that receive students. According to the Atlas project, in 2016, eight leading host countries were identified that receive more than half of the world’s total international student population: the United States, the United Kingdom, China, France, Australia, Russia, Canada, and Germany. However, in recent years, new destinations have been emerging in the international education market, including countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Oceania, and Asia.
As of 2016, approximately one-fifth of global student mobility flows were accounted for by the United States. U.S. education policy is aimed not only at maintaining its leading position but also at increasing the number of international students pursuing higher education. Demand for American higher education is growing rapidly among students.
There are currently nearly one million students from about 200 countries studying in the United States. In recent years, Chinese citizens coming to pursue master’s degrees have been the driving force behind the growth in the number of international students in the U.S., leading to a balance in the number of international students at the bachelor’s and master’s levels.