In this short lecture we will consider what the internationalisation of higher education means, and the global implications of international mobility - on the students, on their 'receiving' countries and on their places of origin. In 2011 there were 4.3 million students pursuing university education outside of their home country. The majority of international students come from China, India and Korea, and they have a huge and unprecedented impact upon universities, economies and societies around the world. Dr Johanna Waters is a University Lecturer in Geography and the Environment.