The central purpose of this article is to analyze recent trends and patterns that characterize mobility for the purpose of education at the tertiary level as a global phenomenon in the general context of the current migration of skilled workers. Under this framework, analytical perspectives on mobility for the purpose of edu - cation are discussed and central points in the current debate about the nature and implications of this type of mobility are identified. The analysis is based on statistics on international mobility of students in tertiary education provided by the Institute for Statistics of the United Nations Educational and Cultural Orga - nization ( UNESCO). The detailed analysis of this flow in both sending and receiving countries shows a geography of this global phenomenon characterized by a hege - monic concentration in receiving countries of the north and the predominance of Asian countries in the global contest to obtain the highest professional qualifica -