International Students as Vectors of Informal Diplomacy : Does Soft Power Matter More than Dollars?

This article examines the evolving rationales underlying government strategies to attract international students, with a particular focus on their role as vectors of informal diplomacy. While existing scholarship has largely analyzed international student mobility through individual motivations or institutional strategies, this study highlights the state-level logics that frame student mobility as a tool of soft power. Drawing on policy documents, political speeches, and scholarly literature, the article analyzes the approaches of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—countries that remain among the world’s top destinations for international students—across three historical periods: 1945–1990s, 1990s–2010s, and 2010s–2025. Findings reveal that political rationales dominate in contexts of geopolitical tension (Cold War and the current multipolar era), whereas economic rationales gained prominence in the more stable post-Cold War decades. Despite variations, governments consistently present international students as passive instruments of either economic benefit or informal diplomacy, overlooking their agency and diverse experiences. This analysis underscores the contingent nature of governmental rationales, shaped by shifting global dynamics, and calls for further research into the extent to which international students actively contribute to public and cultural.