RESEARCH TITLE
International student migration in the Serbian context and (re)construction of identity: Main issues and inputs for policy making
RESEARCH FIELD
International student migration
RESEARCH SUBJECT
Examining the influence of the migration experience and the new academic and social environment on the identity transformation of international students.
PROBLEM
Special subgroup of international young migrants is represented by students, whose migration motives are specific for two reasons. On the one hand, student migration is time-limited to a certain age, and on the other hand, they are motivated primarily by the acquisition of knowledge, qualifications, and skills. In line with the global internationalization of higher education in recent decades, the number of international students has greatly increased worldwide, with a tendency to continue increasing. The challenges of adapting to a new environment, such as learning a new language and adapting to other cultures, represent transnational experiences that significantly contribute to the acquisition, i.e. strengthening of intercultural competencies of international students. In this regard, it is unexplored how the experience of studying abroad influences the (re)shaping of the identity of students from Serbia who are studying or have studied abroad or those who are studying or have studied in Serbia.
RESEARCH
At the centre of this research are the dynamics of the concepts of identity and international student, their mutual interconnection, but also their mutual influence. By applying both quantitative and qualitative methods, this research (in the context of Serbia), provides answers to the following questions:
- How do international students experience and express their identities?
- Whether and how do experiences of studying abroad and adapting to a new social environment influence the transformation of international students’ identities?
- Does the experience of international student migration lead to changes in both individual and collective forms of identity? If so, is this change equally expressed in all forms of identity, and how does it manifest itself?
- How do international students relate to the challenges of transforming their own identities?
RESULT
The research results are primarily scientific and are reflected in gaining new knowledge about the experience of studying abroad, especially when it comes to the impact of such migration on the personal development of individuals and their identities, and on understanding current mechanisms of adaptation to cultural differences.
Secondly, the contributions of the results of this research are social, in the context of raising awareness about the importance of safe migration and providing scholarships for students from developing countries, which is in line with sub-goals 10.7 and 4B of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and encouraging the internationalization of higher education in Serbia.
Finally, the results of this research also represent a contribution to the field of public policies, as the findings contribute to the knowledge base available to policymakers and strategists for the further internationalization of higher education in Serbia, as well as for improving the social adaptation and integration of international students, and their inclusion in communities at various levels. Based on the empirical research results and findings obtained through discussion and exchange of experiences during two workshops (with students; with policymakers and decision-makers), policy recommendations and policy brief were formulated. These documents contain guidelines for overcoming the challenge of insufficient knowledge of the Serbian language, which international students face in the first stages of studying in Serbia, as well as for the best possible socio-cultural adaptation of international students through better cooperation between diverse institutions at different levels of governance.
