According to a report on Deutsche Welle, the top choice of university for Southeast Asian students is one in either the USA or UK, with Japan coming in third, ahead of studying in the EU.
The reasons for this are two-fold. First is language, as English is perceived as the most useful for a lucrative career. The second is value for money. Though US universities are the most expensive, followed by the UK, 17 of the top 20 Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021 are in the US or UK.
“The combination of these two images generates the staying power of US and UK universities,” says Meng-Hsuan Chou, of Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.
Although there is a language barrier, Japanese universities’ popularity in Southeast Asia stems from word of mouth from students who have previously studied there and are instrumental in helping their friends and family members to apply.
