International student circulation in the global market

International student mobility is the most visible form of the internationalisation of higher education. This article discusses the difficulties surrounding data definition and data capture for international student mobility. It presents an overview and analysis of the twenty countries supplying the largest number of international students in the period 1965-2005 and interprets the changes that have occurred over that period. It also examines inbound mobility trends and emphasises the changing positions of the developing countries in the international student market.