Elina APSITE BERINA, University of Latvia, Latvia
Zaiga KRISJANE, University of Latvia, Latvia
Maris BERZINS, University of Latvia, Latvia
Girts BURGMANIS, University of Latvia, Latvia
Traditionally, studying abroad for students is seen as a complex decision taken that needs precaution. In recent decades international student mobility (ISM) alerts topics of higher education, educational export, trends of migration. It is captivating the attention of academics and practitioners worldwide.
From the receiving countries view, the attraction of potential residents is essential. This is particularly appealing for countries with negative demographic changes. At the same time, the impact of newcomers on the permanent population depends on their ability to integrate into the territory and various local systems.
This paper presents an empirical investigation of international student mobility to Latvia from diverse geographies. The study explores the importance of international students' non-standard education destination choice by analysing statistical and survey data. The survey reveals views on the decision-making process and motives of current full-time international students in Latvia.
Latvia welcomes young migrants (students, professionals, low-skilled workers, and posted workers). Besides specific sourcing countries in Europe and East Asia, there are also considerably constant and stable flows from the former Soviet countries. Among others, balanced costs and accessibility of quality education in English attract international students, thus providing a "second chance" to be successful. Latvia exports education and, to a lesser extent, work opportunities in the European Union, which for long-distance travelled study and work migrants can be seen as a lifetime opportunity. Studying and working immigrants' in Latvia appreciate the multilingual environment as both English and the Russian language are used daily. The results indicate that, to some extent, geography sets the main motives for study choice in Latvia.
Mots clés : International student mobility|destination|second chance|Latvia|geography
A104193EA