Impact of Study Abroad on the Development of Academic Staff: The Case of Universiti Sains Malaysia

Universiti Sains Malaysia is a public comprehensive research university. Established in 1969, it has a long-standing tradition of sending its academic staff abroad to study. This chapter focuses on Universiti Sains Malaysia as a case study to examine the impacts of study abroad. Based on primary data collected via an online survey questionnaire—completed by 592 academics and supplemented by 20 follow-up interviews—this chapter demonstrates that study abroad experience generally has a significant impact on academic work (notably on education- and research-related activities) compared to the study-at-home experience. The chapter also discusses re-entry experiences, the underlying challenges and more subtle nuances regarding the impacts of study abroad on academic life. Implications for national higher education agendas, institutional initiatives and research directions are discussed.