Author Mohamud Ali Mohamud The Challenges and Opportunities of Studying Abroad Case Study: Somali students in Uganda Author Mohamud Ali Mohamud

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES: What are the challenges and opportunities which Somali students studying abroad encounter? RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: This study will be conducted by using a qualitative method. The data will be obtained from a Focus Group discussion and 3 Key Informant Interviews.

RESEARCH FINDINGS: Students prefer to study abroad due to lack of quality education, the use of English in teaching abroad, and opportunities available to students who have studied abroad. New-comers should be clear about the specific program and have information about culture, language they will speak, the system of study, the quality of the university s/he is intending to join, the weather, security, the price for both tuition and accommodation, and the duration of the program s/he wants to pursue. Overseas study is better than that provided at home in terms of teaching methods whereby discussion methods are used which helps student minds to grow and along with their confidence. The level of lectures is also a factor, and abroad the students are given internships in their second year which lets them get some practical experience before they work.

RESEARCH FINDINGS (Continued) Students gain many benefits when studying abroad and these include knowledge sharing, networking with different people, and learning different cultures and languages. The participants agreed that the students encounter some barriers when studying abroad, including language barriers, environmental barriers and financial constraints.