Students' Study Abroad Plans: the Influence of Motivational and Personality Factors

Improving the international competencies of university students is becoming an important goal for both nations and universities. On the country level, national security and globalization trends are “driving nations to place more importance on developing and recruiting human capital or brain power through international education initiatives” (Knight, 2004, p. 22). Universities also want their graduates to understand the global environment in which they will live and work. As Knight (2004) argues: