ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how Australian government policies position students to encourage their participation in study-abroad programs in the Indo-Pacific, as well as how students themselves perceive their motivations for engaging in these experiences. From the students’ perspectives, key motivations include the desire to challenge themselves, gain firsthand experience in the Indo-Pacific, deepen their understanding of the region, immerse themselves in a different culture, and travel to a new place. Notably, these motivations varied by gender, with female students generally expressing stronger interest in studying abroad than their male peers. Motivation also differed across study abroad programs, particularly in relation to goals around personal development, employability, and foreign language learning. The chapter draws on the integrated capacity approach and the theoretical concept of “mobility as becoming” to analyse the transformative processes students undergo during their time abroad. It highlights how these experiences contribute to students’ transitions from states of being, to doing, to becoming, as they navigate and grow through their time in the Indo-Pacific.
