A Study on Retainment of International Students in the Kainuu Region

Abstract

This thesis focused on studying international students at Kajaani University of Applied Sciences (KAMK) to remain in the Kainuu region after graduation. This thesis is research-oriented, aiming to locate factors affecting retention in Kainuu. The beginning consists of a literature research, which includes articles and books supporting the topic. The literature mainly focuses on theories regarding retention and motivation. The second part includes a qualitative research in the form of an interview, in which eight current international students in KAMK were interviewed. They were asked 12 questions related to moti-vational factors, employment, and attractiveness of Kainuu. The results do not present a compre-hensive list of factors affecting retention, but the author believes it gives a general guide on the main ideas around motivation in remaining in Kainuu after graduation. After the literature research, the research methodology and the results were introduced, followed by suggestions for the region. Also, the success of the thesis was evaluated, as well as further re-search possibilities were introduced.