Elisa ALVES, Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Lisbon, Portugal
The number of international students continues to grow, and so does research on this topic (R4). Portugal is a smaller player in the global map of international student mobility, yet it has been attracting an increasing number of international students over recent years. Among the foreign students in Portugal, the largest contingents come from what is known as the ‘Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries’ (CPLP); basically, the former colonies of Portugal. Within the CPLP, Angola and Cape Verde have been two of the most numerous origins.
Framed by a particular geopolitical context, this presentation intends to focus the case of the Angolan and Cape Verdean international students in Portuguese higher education, and their future mobility projects through the follow research questions: Do students leave home countries planning a rapid return at the conclusion of their studies, or do they plan to remain abroad? Are the initial projects of returning home going to be fulfilled, or are they abandoned once the student has graduated? What are the main factors behind these (changeable) projects?
Based on a mixed methodology (152 responses to an online survey, and 85 semi-structured interviews, part of them follow-up interviews), data highlight the importance of post-colonial links (R1; R2), the weight of globalization and knowledge-based societies, and the importance of life course events to explain students’ trajectories (R3). Four mobility profiles were identified – maximizers, dreamers, world citizens and runners –, crossing individual, social, economic and geopolitical factors with the students’ projects for their future and, among some participants, with their accomplishments. These profiles show commonalities, but also important differences regarding students’ initial motivations, sociocultural background, and perception of professional opportunities home and abroad (R5), making the decision process a far from straightforward process.
Mots clés : International students|Future mobility projects|Social and spatial trajectories|Africa|Professional opportunities
A104185EA