Every year, universities invest millions in study abroad, but how do you actually prove its impact? Stop saying your programs change lives. Start proving it

Research for our Partners/Members

Each term and academic year, we provide our partners with objective data, research insights, and comprehensive analyses on student competency development. These evidence-based findings help institutions continuously improve their study abroad programs by optimizing excursions, cultural activities, academic experiences, and other elements that contribute to student learning and global competence.

Global and Specific Certification by Country

As a Founding Partner, your institution is eligible to earn the Study Abroad Global Experience Certification® badge. The certification can be awarded to both the institution and each qualifying study abroad program, providing a powerful mark of excellence that enhances marketing efforts, strengthens competitive positioning, and demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement and evidence-based student outcomes.

Segmentation by several criterions* (on request)

If the partner organization wants we provide comprehensive research analytics segmented by academic major, home university, and other key demographic and academic variables, enabling partners to gain deeper insights into student outcomes and make data-driven decisions. Advanced statistical analyses, including ANOVA and correlation analysis, can also be conducted across the entire student population to provide deeper insights into program outcomes.

three round white wooden tables
three round white wooden tables
person holding black pen and white round paper
person holding black pen and white round paper
Deployment by Competency

A comprehensive, research-based analysis of up to nine international competencies, enabling objective benchmarking of student development across individuals, academic programs, partner institutions, and countries. The comparative results identify best practices, reveal performance trends, and support evidence-based decision-making for continuous program enhancement.

Comparatives and Evolution

From data to decisions, our research platform provides robust statistical analyses, comparative benchmarking, and evidence-based insights, empowering institutions to evaluate performance, compare results across programs and countries, and enhance the impact of their study abroad experiences.

Student Results and Evaluation

Students can showcase the measurable results and competency gains achieved during their study abroad experience on their CVs and LinkedIn profiles. This provides credible evidence of the program's real value, demonstrating to employers and graduate schools the professional and personal skills developed through international education.

monitor screengrab
monitor screengrab
a screen shot of a stock chart on a computer
a screen shot of a stock chart on a computer
Several national flags flying against a cloudy sky.
Several national flags flying against a cloudy sky.
Program Evaluation

We work collaboratively with our research partners and study abroad providers throughout the design process to ensure their vision is realized.

Student Support for Founding Research Members

Although our Global Online Platform is very intuitive and easy to use, students may occasionally experience issues such as login difficulties or questions that are not covered in the FAQ.

In such cases, SAA provides direct customer support by email, assisting students promptly and ensuring they can successfully access and use the platform.

Our partner institutions do not need to do anything, we take care of everything.

a man typing on a laptop
a man typing on a laptop

What kind of yearly research report a FOUNDING MEMBER RESEARCH INSTITUTION will receive? 

During the first two months of each year (January–February), each partner will receive a detailed performance and progress report. This report features aggregated data, rather than individual student records, covering student performance over the previous calendar year across all study abroad terms (Spring, Summer, and Fall).

The research paper will include the following information:

  1. Introduction and justification. 

  2. Research Objectives for Year 20XX
    Definition of the principal research objectives, research questions, and expected outcomes for the academic year under analysis.

  3. Participant Profile and Data Collection
    Presentation of the total number of participating students, the number and percentage of students who completed the Global Competence Certification, students’ age distribution, and state of origin. Where appropriate, additional demographic characteristics may be incorporated into the analysis.

  4. Pre-Departure Assessment and Institutional Results
    Presentation of the institution’s aggregated pre-departure results, including the baseline assessment of students’ global competencies. Where the study abroad program includes multiple countries or cities, results may be disaggregated by destination to facilitate comparative analysis.

  5. Implementation of Global Competence Activities
    Analysis of the completion and implementation of the proposed experiential global competence activities. This section will assess the extent to which students participated in the recommended activities and the relationship between activity completion and the development of global competencies.

  6. Post-Program Assessment and Institutional Results
    Presentation of the institution’s aggregated post-program results following completion of the study abroad experience. Where applicable, results may be disaggregated by country or city of destination to identify potential differences across study abroad locations.

  7. Deep Statistical Analysis* (Quoted independently)
    Application of appropriate statistical techniques, including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and analysis of variance (ANOVA), to identify significant relationships and differences among variables and to assess the extent to which the observed changes in global competency outcomes can be associated with the study abroad experience and related activities. Where the research design permits, additional statistical procedures may be employed to strengthen the analysis of potential causal relationships.

  8. Research Limitations
    Identification and discussion of the principal methodological, data-related, and contextual limitations of the research, including sample size, self-reported measures, participant characteristics, program differences, and other factors that may affect the generalizability or interpretation of the findings.

  9. Industry Benchmarking and Comparative Analysis with average industry*(Quoted independently) 
    Comparison of the institution’s aggregated results with relevant benchmarks from other study abroad programs and higher education institutions. The aggregated scores obtained by the participating institution will be compared with the corresponding study abroad industry averages to provide a broader contextual assessment of program performance and global competency development.

  10. Conclusions and Certification Badge
    Presentation of the principal findings and conclusions derived from the research. Based on the established certification criteria and the results obtained, a determination will be made regarding the issuance, renewal, or maintenance of the Global Competence Certification Badge (Black)  for the institution.