Graduating abroad: what is it, why would you do it, and where is the best place to go?

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What is graduating abroad like?

• Graduating abroad means completing (part of) your thesis, research, or final project in a country other than where you study.
• This can be done in various ways. For example, you can:
  • conduct field research on location (e.g., nature, social studies, policy).
  • collaborate with a foreign organization, university, or NGO.
  • collect data in a specific context that you do not have at home.
  • or combine your thesis with a phase of a project.
• What makes it different from home is that you conduct research in a completely new environment. You have to deal with different systems, cultures, expectations, and sometimes limited resources.
• In addition, context plays a major role. For instance, access to respondent information may work differently, communication is not always straightforward, schedules sometimes fall apart, and you have to arrange and organize more yourself.
• It therefore requires not only academic skills but also adaptability and independence.
• In practice, you will notice that:
  • your research often proceeds less "tightly" than planned.
  • you have to improvise and make choices.
  • you are closer to practice than with theoretical research.
  • you grow faster in independence and problem-solving ability.
• Graduating abroad is therefore not only an academic journey, but also:
  • a personal challenge.
  • a learning experience in a new context.
  • a combination of study and life experience.

What are the reasons for graduating abroad?

• To conduct research in a unique and relevant context: you work with situations and data from environments that you do not have at home.
• To increase your adaptability and independence: you arrange a lot yourself and learn to deal with reliability.
• To gain international experience and broaden your perspective: you learn to look from the perspective of other systems and cultures. 
• To expand your network with international contacts: you work together with organizations, supervisors, and locals.
• To challenge yourself and gain more confidence in your own abilities: you complete a major project in an unfamiliar environment.

What skills and motivations do you need to graduate abroad?

• Analyzing: estimate and interpret information in a new and sometimes complex context, where not everything is immediately clear or available.
• Planning: structure your research and time, while circumstances can change and not everything goes according to schedule.
• Being flexible: adapt to unexpected situations, such as changing access to data, cultural differences, or practical challenges.
• Communicating: coordinate with supervisors, respondents, and organizations, often in a different language or communication style.
• Self-confidence: make decisions, work independently, and persevere, even when things are uncertain or complicated.

What are the best countries and locations to graduate abroad?

• Research in nature and fieldwork: Costa Rica, South Africa, Indonesia, Australia.
• Development and social issues: Nepal, India, Kenya, Peru.
• Strong academic cooperation: United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Sweden. 
• Practice-oriented projects and NGOs: Thailand, Mexico, Morocco, Vietnam.

What are the risks of graduating abroad, and are you insured against those risks? 

What are the risks of graduating abroad, and what happens with some regularity:

• that your research is delayed, resulting in access to data, and that respondents from locations are more difficult than expected, putting your schedule under pressure.
• that miscommunication arises with supervisors from local partners, for example due to language differences or different expectations regarding work and deadlines.
• that you experience stress and pressure, causing you to work independently in an unfamiliar environment without direct support like at home.
• that practical matters (accommodation, visas, transport) take more time and energy than planned, affecting your study progress.
• that you work in an environment where safety and the health of infrastructure are less self-evident, which entails additional risks.
• that your costs turn out higher than expected, for example due to travel, accommodation, or research resources.
• that you are minimally influenced by the context in which you work (e.g. poverty, loss of nature, social issues).

Are you insured while graduating abroad?

• There may be several reasons why you need separate insurance when studying, doing an internship or graduating abroad.
• During work, internships, or volunteering abroad where you receive compensation or a salary, your own health insurance coverage in your home country may lapse.
• See also: insurance for graduating for paid work, for internships and for volunteer work abroad.