Retaining Foreign Human Capital: The Role of Territorial Factors in International Students’ Career and Location Choices

In today’s globalized job market, companies and policymakers face a pressing challenge: attracting and retaining skilled workers. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in territories with a high concentration of universities, where retaining graduates, both native and non-native, often proves difficult. In that respect, researchers underline the importance of international students in forming a crucial segment of the global talent pool, helping to alleviate labor shortages, drive productivity and innovation, and stimulate economic growth in their host countries (Han et al., 2022; Hawthorne, 2018; Wilkinson, 2008). Yet, although international students are frequently examined in higher education research across different disciplines, most of the previous research focus on their academic, sociocultural, and psychological adaptation during their study abroad period rather than on their integration into the workforce of their host country upon graduation (Gümüş et al., 2020; Han et al., 2022). Although location decisions are frequently investigated by the literature on international careers, this literature is mostly focused on professionals (Dickmann & Cerdin, 2014; Dickmann & Mills, 2009), and rarely investigates the choices of international students after graduation (for few, recent exceptions see Han et al,2022, Arthur et al., 2023). Drawing from the Systems Theory Framework (STF) of career development (Patton & McMahon, 2021), this study aims to explore how micro (individual), meso (organizational), and macro (socio-economic) contextual factors influence international students’ career and location choices in the region of Lombardy, Italy. Located in northern Italy, Lombardy spans around 24,000 square kilometers and is home to nearly 10 million residents. With a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 368 billion euros, Lombardy contributes about 22% to Italy’s total GDP. In terms of economic output, Lombardy’s GDP surpasses that of several EU countries. Moreover, Lombardy is home to 815,956 registered companies, representing about 16% of the national total. Despite significant deindustrialization in the 1990s, industry still employs 34% of the workforce. The region’s productive sector is largely composed of small and medium-sized enterprises, many of which are clustered in industrial districts (Regione Lombardia, 2020). As such, since 1988, Lombardy is one of four regions considered as the “Four Motors for Europe” (together with Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Catalonia and Baden-Württemberg) (4 Motors, n.d.). Serving as the international hub for diverse industries, innovation, design, arts and fashion as well as being home to 13 competitive universities along with many private design schools and academies, Lombardy is a dynamic and attractive region for both international students and workers. Given that international students’ career development and perceptions of career options are influenced by dynamic systems (Patton & McMahon, 2021), our study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative research methods. This approach involves engaging not only international students but also universities and other recognized support initiatives in the region, which may have played a substantial role in shaping international students’ experiences in Lombardy and their potential decisions on whether to stay there after graduation. First, we conducted online semi-structured interviews, led by two or three researchers from the team, with 25 representatives from the international and placement offices at 13 universities in Lombardy and an in-person meeting with the representatives of an official organization for promoting the city of Milan. The aim of these interviews was to fathom the challenges of the international students in moving to and adapting to their new lives in Lombardy and whether/how these institutions support international students’ integration to the workforce within Lombardy upon graduation. Second, we conducted four in-person and two online focus groups with graduate and post-graduate international students (n=∼ 40) from these universities and a private school of design in Milan. Focus groups were formed first based on international students’ field of specialization, location of study within Lombardy, country of origin, and gender, yet had to be rearranged based on their availability. Focus group discussions were led by a main facilitator along with other two or three facilitators, who were observing the meeting but also contributing to the discussions when needed. During these focus groups, students were asked to discuss collectively about their experiences and thoughts regarding the general economic, political-legal and socio-cultural context and lifestyle in Lombardy, whether/why they find/do not find Lombardy overall a welcoming region, and whether/why Lombardy is/is not in their prospective career plans. Finally, a factorial survey (Kroczek & Späth, 2022) with scenarios (vignettes) describing job offers followed by a brief demographic questionnaire were administered to focus group participants at the beginning of each session, where they mark their likelihood of accepting or rejecting each of the five different job offer scenarios on an ordinal scale ranging from one to eleven. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups are both audio- and video-recorded and are being transcribed, anonymized and coded by our research team. Focus groups and factorial surveys are still ongoing and when the data collection is complete, we will collaborate on coding and triangulate the qualitative and quantitative findings. During our presentation at your panel on “Future Trajectories and Territorial Dynamics of Tertiary Education Systems” as part of the SISEC 2025 Conference, we will present our preliminary findings, which consist of: • an overview of different attitudes of international and placement offices at Lombardy universities on providing formal vs. informal and proactive vs. reactive support to international students, and • an analysis of diverse contextual factors shaping international students’ experiences and prospects of living, studying and working in Lombardy at micro (individual), meso (organizational) and macro (socio-economic) levels. By identifying the factors that influence international students’ decisions about where to pursue their careers, this research contributes to the literature on higher education and career studies. It also adds to the ongoing discussion on territorial human capital and urban competitiveness in the evolving geography of jobs, focusing on a diverse group of universities within a specific region (Lombardy) in a relatively under-explored national context (Italy). Our findings offer valuable insights for universities and policymakers on strategies to attract and retain international talent and on the role that regional characteristics play in this process. We believe this makes our paper a strong fit for your panel, where we look forward to engaging in meaningful discussions with the SISEC community.   References Arthur, N., Lei, D., & Woodend, J. (2023). From Near and Afar: International Secondary School Students’ Career Influences. Journal of Career Development, 50(2), 335–352. https://doi.org/10.1177/08948453221094309. Dickmann, M., & Cerdin, J.-L. (2014). Boundaryless career drivers – exploring macro-contextual factors in location decisions. 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