Today, an ever-increasing number of students—including Japanese students—choose Malaysia as their study-abroad destination for degree acquisition. However, research on international students’ mobility from developed to emerging countries has been inadequate. In this study, the educational experience and transition from education to work of Japanese students in Malaysia were examined qualitatively and analyzed using the SCAT analysis. This research revealed a new paradigm of international students’ mobility from “central” to “peripheral” countries; “escape” or “drop out” students—a type common among Japanese students in Western countries—were not found in this study. Instead, the characteristics of education in Malaysia, peripheral perception of non-Western education, existence of different language worlds, and an outlook of transition from education to work have been revealed, which differentiate education in Malaysia from other higher-education destinations. The findings are beneficial for Japanese high-schools and universities that send students abroad, especially in the post-COVID-19 era, where it is difficult for students to go to countries with high tuition and living costs.

In the summer of 2020, many students had no choice but to give up their plans to study abroad due to the COVID-19 crisis. In response to this, online international workshops under the title of “Virtual Camp” (hereafter referred to as VC) were launched, gathering participants from around the world. These workshops were planned by organizations involved in many different types of international volunteer efforts. Through the post-survey, the author explored the educational benefits of VC, how it is valuable as a preparation for study abroad and how this experience allowed students to gain an interest in social and environmental issues, as well as consider what they can do at present in Japan.