Irina: Moving to study, work abroad not easy but worth it

Growing up, Irina Matthews was always interested in foreign countries and foreign languages with education and career growth at the centre of her heart.

She worked in London in an educational marketing company after school, before the company changed its line of business.

“Even when I was working in the company, I always felt like I could start the company on my own. During the time of my employment in London, I represented about 120 British universities and 80 universities from Europe. Part of my job was to represent those institutions in international education fairs worldwide. This is how I learnt about this business,” she told the Star during an interview in Nairobi.

When she left the company, she decided to open a consultancy and offer marketing services to international universities.

She says that in 2006, there was little information about international education fairs, and she saw this as an opportunity to start offering information and booking services to attend such events.

“Soon after, my company received inquiries about Kenyan student market. This was totally new and opportunities were limited and we didn’t have any links or connections, so we really had to find out about local education events in Nairobi. After seeing that there were actually very few options, we decided to launch our own event – International Student Fairs Africa (ISFA),” she recalls.

Matthews, the director of StudyCentral Limited– Universityfairs.com made her first trip to Kenya (Nairobi) in 2011 with the first ISFA event taking place in 2012.

According to her, every country has its own benefits and peculiarities when choosing to study abroad.Studying abroad in general is a useful experience, she noted, as it provides wide opportunities and exposure, helps young people to learn other cultures and languages and become world citizens.

With local Kenyan universities not always being able to offer enough places for students, more students are looking into opportunities to study overseas as they also wish to improve their career prospects in the labour market after graduation.

According to University World News, 57 per cent of 1,044 Kenyan students polled in the recent survey said that they would prefer to study in a foreign university than a local one.

Another study by the African Leadership University (ALU) indicated that half of Kenyan students wish to study abroad, with a significant number of them not willing to come back after their studies, as they seek financial dependency and growth abroad, with an aim of investing back at home and supporting families.

The students planning to pursue higher education in the future, said the ability to gain work experience during their studies, is a main priority when choosing which university or college to apply to.

Other top priorities are finances and scholarship opportunities as well as having the opportunity to gain experience outside of Africa.

The number of Kenyans issued with student visas has been on the rise in recent years according to government statistics.

An increase in Kenyan schools offering A-Levels and International Baccalaureate naturally increased the number of students willing to study abroad, according to Studycentral Limited.

“Those ones who obtained the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) can still apply to foreign universities but most of such students choose to go for Access Courses abroad,” Matthews noted.

The main areas are undergraduate courses and postgraduate courses with a visible increase in interest for professional qualifications.

Many foreign universities attract Kenyan students for access and foundation courses in marketing, business, management and IT.

According to Matthews, the main subject areas are business and finance, medicine and related sciences, IT, engineering, hotel management, humanities, law, science, MBA, and distant learning.

While the USA, Canada, United Kingdom and Europe, in general are the most favoured destinations, France and Belgium, Italy, Poland and Slovakia, Romania, Hungary and Russia are considered to be the more affordable by country.

“Cost of living is also an important benefit to look it while making a choice. You can find courses from 1,500 Euro (Sh210,585) annual fees,” Matthews noted ahead of this year’s ISFA fair set to take place at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi, on April 5.

This year’s ISFA expo will showcase options in undergraduate and post-graduate programmes from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Romania, Sweden, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Russia, South Africa and the USA.

“Every country has great universities and some are historically stronger in particular specialties. A student can make a choice based on their research and preference and the budget,” Matthews noted.

CHALLENGES

With a teaching degree and about 20-year experience of being a teacher trainer, facilitator, coach, and learning and development practitioner, Matthews noted that Kenyan students seeking study opportunities abroad face significant challenges, including financial constraints, visa acquisition difficulties, cultural adjustment, language barriers and potential discrimination.

Studying abroad has generally been expensive and Kenyan students often struggle to afford tuition fees, living expenses and travel costs.

Access to scholarships and financial aid opportunities can also be limited, making it difficult for many to pursue international education.

“Many students rely on their families for financial support, which can be a strain on family budgets. Obtaining visas can also be a complex and time-consuming process, with strict requirements and potential for delays or rejections,” she said.

Visa application fees can be substantial, adding to the overall cost of studying abroad.

According to Matthews, students need to gather and submit a large amount of documentation, which can be challenging, especially for those with limited resources or access to technology.

While abroad, adjusting to a new culture can be difficult, leading to feelings of isolation, homesickness, and cultural misunderstandings.

Navigating a new language can be challenging, especially in academic settings, and can hinder academic progress and social integration, she said.

Kenyan students may also face discrimination or stereotypes based on their race, ethnicity, or nationality and being far from home and family can also lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Adapting to a new academic system, curriculum and teaching methods can also be challenging which could add to lack of resources where some Kenyan students may find that resources, such as libraries and laboratories, are limited in their home institutions, which can impact their academic performance.

“Securing suitable and affordable accommodation can also be a significant challenge, especially in popular study destinations. Many students may also need to work part-time to support their studies, which can be time-consuming and stressful,” she noted.

According to UNESCO data, there are about 14,060 students studying abroad with top destinations with a high-growth potential being the US, Australia, UAE, Canada and the UK.

SUPPORTING HOME ECONOMY

Meanwhile, students moving abroad for studies have continued to transition into the working spaces abroad, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimating that there are more than three million Kenyans in the diaspora.

This group has remained critical in supporting growth back at home mainly through investments and diaspora remittances which are currently the top source of foreign exchange earnings.

Kenyans living and working abroad sent home a record $4.94 billion (Sh637.3 billion) in the year ended December 31, 2024, shuttering the Central Bank of Kenya’s initial forecast of Sh600 billion.

Remittance inflows reached an all time high compared to $4.19 billion (Sh540.5 billion) in 2023, an increase of 18 per cent.

Latest data shows remittances for February this year were $382.2 million (Sh49.4 billion) with the US remaining the largest source of remittances, contributing 51 per cent of total inflows.