SINGAPORE, Jan. 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life services, has released its first-ever International Student Lifestyle Survey. Students from China and India were among 4000 students from 6 countries across 3 continents - including Italy, Spain, U.K., and U.S. - to provide insights about ways to improve quality of life along students' academic journeys in this inaugural global edition.
The report drives an understanding of university students around the world and helps universities provide new offerings, living arrangements and studying spaces that alleviate students' stress about studies, finances and careers after graduation. As students become increasingly diverse and cosmopolitan, these findings provide relatable insights into university life regionally and globally.
The survey of undergraduates took students' pulse on everything from what most influences their decision about where to attend university, to who is paying for their accommodations, to how much they're exercising and sleeping, to their career plans (or lack thereof). The responses about the four stages of a student's lifecycle -- pre-arrival, arrival, living and departure -- provide insight into universal student experiences and into those experiences where culture and expectations make an enormous difference.
Colm O'MAHONY, CEO, Schools & Universities, Sodexo Asia Pacific, said:
"The college and university industry is changing rapidly, in part because the expectations of Generation Z are much more fluid, varying quite a bit among student populations and from country to country. Our survey affirmed Sodexo's understanding of this generation as more worldly and interested in campus services and opportunities that help them live a fast-paced, stress-free lifestyle. Meanwhile, it's very important to today's university students to be able to voice their concerns or opinions to their academic institutions. Universities have an opportunity and a responsibility to cultivate a profound understanding of what contributes to their students' quality of life, from the design of student accommodations and traditional gathering spaces -- libraries, study halls and courtyards -- to the way they welcome international students who have very specific needs. Universities that reconfigure their operational model to suit these expectations will be much more effective at alleviating some of the mental, sociological and economic pressures that students around the world say they are under."
Key findings include:
The inaugural International Universities Lifestyle Survey builds on the success of Sodexo's industry-leading, biennial University Lifestyle Survey of students in the U.K., which has been released since 2004. This is the first year Sodexo, which serves 8 million students a day at 1,000 universities in 32 countries, has conducted the survey globally. The research was carried out in spring 2017 by YouthSight, which surveyed 4,027 students from six countries who completed questionnaires online. The sample included 1,008 U.S. students, 1,005 from the U.K., 507 from Italy, 500 from Spain, 505 from India, and 502 from China, in all years of study.
About Sodexo
Founded in 1966 by Pierre Bellon, Sodexo is the global leader in services that improve Quality of Life, an essential factor in individual and organizational performance. Operating in 80 countries, Sodexo serves 100 million consumers each day through its unique combination of On-site Services, Benefits and Rewards Services and Personal and Home Services. Through its more than 100 services, Sodexo provides clients an integrated offering developed over 50 years of experience: from food services, reception, safety, maintenance and cleaning, to facilities and equipment management; from Meal Pass, Gift Pass and Mobility Pass benefits for employees to in-home assistance, child care centres and concierge services. Sodexo's success and performance are founded on its independence, its sustainable business and financial model and its ability to continuously develop and to engage the commitment of its 427,000 employees throughout the world. Sodexo is a member of the CAC 40 and DJSI Indices.
In Asia Pacific, Sodexo's 69,000 employees are present across 17 territories. Its teams provide a range of On-site Services and Benefits and Rewards Services to a wide range of consumers in diverse environments - from multinational corporations, international schools, healthcare institutions, on-shore facilities, to defence sites.
Key figures (as of 31 August 2017)