EMPIRIC STUDY OF INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC MOBILITY IN KOSOVO AND ITS IMPAC ON DEVELOPMENT

The background of the research presented in the paper lies in the divergence between the observations of international student mobility in the context of the internationalization of higher educations by the EU and universities on one hand and international students’ motivations for study abroad in general. The research is based on four main case studies of Universities in Kosovo, Bulgaria, Sweden, and Poland including here also other exchange students from different continents such as Australia and Oceania (Fiji), Asia(India), Africa(South Africa), etc. A survey with some questions is designed and 272 responses from students on Erasmus+ mobilities are collected in 2020 and analyzed. This paper explains the students’ experience abroad in terms of their intercultural competencies and skills, their shape of identities, the achievement and transfer of knowledge, the possible forming of multicultural mindsets, perceptions of employability, and their future mobility aspirations. This research also considers the barriers and factors of mobility, perceptions of risk and uncertainty with regards to mobility. [1] The special phenomenon of the COVID 19 pandemic which coincides with the period of the study is also examined and researched as an unprecedented phenomenon which appeared to have psychological and economic consequences worldwide including here exchange students. This research confirms that student experiences, skills, the gain of knowledge abroad and the internationalization efforts of universities and the EU would benefit a lot from the introduction of education for global nationality, which should focus on the intercultural competencies of students. [2]