Abstract

MAURITTI, Rosário et al. International mobility for study purposes: flows and distribution of CPLP students in higher education and Portuguese territory. CIDADES [online]. 2023, n.47, pp.176-192.  Epub Dec 29, 2023. ISSN 2182-3030.  https://doi.org/10.15847/cct.30825.

The study analyses the positioning of Portugal in the international mobility flows for study purposes, in a process built and consolidated mainly in the scope of the CPLP cooperation agreements. The aim is to identify the profile and characteristics of foreign students attending higher education in Portugal, especially those coming from CPLP countries, to detail the flows and origins, as well as their distribution across higher education institutions and the national territory, discussing the potential benefits of their integration for the different types of institutions/territories. The study is based on official census data produced by DGEEC for the years 2012-2021. The analysis shows the adherence of Portuguese Higher Education Institutions (HEI) to the recruitment of international students, a process facilitated by the change in the institutional framework under the cooperation agreements. In the list of reasons for this adhesion, it is pointed out both the possibilities of attracting new financial resources through the payment of tuition fees, as well as symbolic elements of prestige of the HEI in the national and international rankings, besides the potential for dynamism and innovation that results from the confluence on the HEI campus of students with differentiated references of experience and cultural orientations. The article also highlights the relevance of international demand to strengthen the supply of higher education currently in operation in the different areas of education and study cycles, including in regions with less capacity to attract national students.

Keywords : Higher Education Institutions; sustainability of the territories; CPLP rankings; diversification of educational offer.

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