In a recent University World News article, Sazana Jayadeva (University of Surrey) explores the role of study abroad influencers: social media figures who influence prospective international students’ aspirations and capacity to study abroad. Jayadeva uses Indian influencers studying in Germany as initial case studies to demonstrate how influencers can make studying abroad more accessible by acting as virtual “elder siblings” to students, offering essential information and cultural capital to inform student migration. The author observes that these influencers can even serve as informal education consultants, playing a key role in international mobility. Jayadeva concludes that study abroad influencers are vital intermediaries and that they should be studied further to better understand the current landscape of international student mobility dynamics.
