Estudiantes en movimiento: tendencias y desigualdades en la Europa meridional

Abstract

The issue of international student mobility has taken on global dimensions in all coun- tries and in all cultural, political and religious contexts. This research examines the characteristics and specificities of student mobility, highlighting inequalities in access to higher education in the Southern European sub-region. The geographical origin of students and the rate of outgoing mobility provide key information for understanding the phenomenon. As for the destination of mobility, it is divided into: countries or regions receiving (or importing) academic mobility and, on the other hand, countries sending (or exporting) students to receiving countries. The mobility analysis is complemented by two indices: the Eligibility Index, which measures the attractiveness of a country to receive students, and the Dispersion Index, which indicates the diversity of destinations to which students go. Countries such as Italy and Spain have a high attractiveness for international students and maintain a diversified mobility, while others show a higher concentration in their destinations and a lower attractiveness of their edu- cational space. The analysis of student mobility in Southern Europe suggests a trend towards attracting mobility to countries with potential educational infrastructure, reinforcing existing hierarchies and in- equalities in global higher education