Although most do not pay for studies, 80,000 foreigners left $ 10 billion in the city – 15/03/2019

When you talk about young foreigners coming to study in the country, they generally refer to the benefits they get from being here for free or at a much lower cost than their country. Or the investment that Argentina makes in national universities and from which they "benefit". But until now, no one had done the math what these students leave here in their student process. Researchers from UBA and Conicet have just done it. According to the latest available data – from 2017- 80,766 students arrived this year to the city of Buenos Aires and they left 10 113.4 million pesos.

The research was done by economists Javier Curcio and María Fernanda Luna. In the report, explain that this figure is reached after adding the $ 9,902.8 million that international students spend on accommodation, payment of university fees, if any, consumption, transportation and entertainmentamong other articles; plus $ 210.6 million in contributions the visit of friends and relatives of these students. The sum representsat 0.52% of 2017 geographic gross proceeds of jurisdiction, they badert.

The majority of these young people (61,058) manage to short races in universities and other institutions or exchange programs of less than one year; a second group of 16,861 students-courses course of study; and 2,847 others make a diploma.

In terms of the number of hours taken, most do not pay to study: within this group are those who pursue (long) degrees in public universities (12,009 people), plus exchange students, who do not pay when there is equality between local and foreign universities. Graduates still charge.

With regard to nationalities, First there are Brazilians (16%), followed by Europeans (13%), Chileans (12%), Uruguayans (11%) and North Americans (8%).).

There is more data. A quarter of foreigners choose the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) to study. Today they are 6.2% of undergraduate students at this university, which concentrates 52.5% of students who study long careers in public institutions and represents 23.1% of the expenses of these students, about 2,336.2 million dollars.

To avoid confusion, the work is based on what is defined as "International students", who are entering the city exclusively for study purposes. The authors differentiate them from "migrants 1.5", who are the children or parents of immigrants, born abroad and emigrating with their families when they were boys or adolescents, and they are now studying at home. the university in our country. These are foreign students, but not "international""

For specialists, besides the economic impact, the internationalization of students brings other less tangible benefits, such as cultural exchange or the prestige of the city and its universities that these young people then take to the world. In fact, in the latest QS ranking of cities, Buenos Aires became the first in Latin America, overtaking Barcelona and Madrid for the first time.

"Foreign students enrich the cultural heritage of the UBA, who study in our university, take a very positive image of the UBA and take it as theirs; our ambbadadors in the world and strengthen trade in every respect in the countries where they are, "he said. Clarin rector of the UBA Alberto Barbieri.

Since the city government celebrates these figures and says that will continue its actions to attract more foreign students. As the agreement signed late 2017 with 23 universities, including the UBA, to favor the arrival of foreign students.

One of these initiatives is the "Study Buenos Aires" program, which offers foreigners who have come to study some facilities, especially the first days. "Pre-arrival kit" this includes a free cell phone line, a SUBE card and a preferential rate in hostels for the first nights. They also organize cultural and entertainment activities, business visits (business) and policies (in Congress and the legislature).

"The world's major cities are increasingly competing for these young people looking to study outside their home country.This is still a chapter in the competition for talent, a key driver of economic development around open cities. and diverse, with international vocation, "said Fernando Straface, secretary of international relations of the government of Buenos Aires.

"In addition, multinationals are attaching more and more importance to cities with a high quality of life, an academic ecosystem and first-rate research and attracting young people from all over the world," he said. he adds.

"In Colombia, it is difficult for you to study at the university"

Samia Angulo Rincón (32 years old) is Colombian and graduated in Industrial Engineering from the University of Antioquia, Medellín. Nevertheless, he continues to study. Began this year a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Buenos Aires. Samia tells Clarin What, Because of the costs, she always found it difficult to study at the university in Colombia.

He says that in this country people are divided into "Social strata", according to your income. All universities have an entrance examination and they are paid, even those of the state. But the cost of studies depends on the social clbad of each student. In your career, for example, those in stratum 1 pay very little and those of 6 the equivalent of about 1,000 dollars per semester.

Samia belonged to stratum 3 and had to pay $ 100 per semester. But students with a good academic level give them the opportunity to work at the university and therefore do not pay these fees. That was his case. "In any case, it was very difficult for my family to pay for everything related to education," he says. Clarin.

He says that when he graduated, he sought postgraduate degrees in different cities and finally chose Buenos Aires "because I wanted a country that would offer me the opportunity to develop myself as a professional "

In addition to studying, Samia now works for Banco Patagonia (in wholesale product management for companies). She has arrived with her husband, who is a cook, and they have a 3 year old son. It is said that Buenos Aires is a city "very safe, buy with the rest of Latin America " and that in the future, she wants to continue to flourish in a bank and parallel gastronomic projects with her husband.

"What I like the most about Buenos Aires, is that it's very easy to talk to people"

Caroline Deblock is 23 years old and studies Argentine literature at the Sorbonne in Paris. He arrived from France last July to exchange with the Faculty of Arts of the University of El Salvador. It's a program by which he makes here topics that are credited for his career, which will end in Paris. The program lasts one year and returns at the end of May. Her pbadion for Argentine literature led her to study Spanish. She speaks very well the language.

Caroline tells him Clarin that in Buenos Aires, "it does not feel like being outside." "What I like the most about Buenos Aires, is that it's very easy to talk to people." In architecture is very similar, some things work differently, for example the transportation, "he says.

"I did not choose this university, I came because the USAL has an agreement with the Sorbonne," Caroline explains. He says that he likes the clbadics of Argentine literature, such as Borges and Cortazar. But here he met contemporary authors who like him very much, such as Selva Almada, Gabriela Cabezón Cámara and Fernanda García Lao. "All women writers who write about violence on the woman's body," he says.

RB