Factors that most influence mobility - Research has started in the Erasmus GAP project

The Erasmus GAP project aims to explore and bridge the gap between mobile and non-mobile students. The very first step is completing a scoping review to identify and make visible to institutional decision-makers the factors that help or hinder student mobility nowadays.

The literature review, carried out by ELTE, seeks to identify the factors that most influence mobility at the micro, meso, and macro levels, in other words, at the level of individual students, higher education institutions and global trends.

After reviewing around a thousand entries, some 38 documents have been selected for more
in-depth analysis.

Research is not yet at the stage where definitive conclusions can be drawn. Still, it is already clear that the socio-economic situation of students plays a decisive role, on which universities have little influence. In addition to financial conditions, a number of other significant factors can be observed. It seems that the inclusive strategies of higher education institutions should be analysed in terms of what institutions can do for students, helping them have mobility ambitions and implement their mobility plans.

The work will continue with further empirical research, based on questionnaires and case studies, including semi-structured interviews and document analysis. These studies will provide the basis for developing the self-assessment tool for higher education institutions, one of the main outputs of the project.