MOTIVATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC MOBILITY: THE PERSPECTIVE OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND PROFESSORS

ABSTRACT:

The present study seeks to analyze the motivations of university students and professors for their international academic mobility and to provide a better understanding of the advantages this experience can bring to their personal, professional and academic lives. The empirical research was conducted with thirty Brazilian and foreign students, as well as with Brazilian professors, who have all chosen international mobility as part of their academic formation. The information obtained was submitted to thematic content analysis, a process that was supported by Ethnograph software. Bourdieu's theoretical perspective was used for interpretation. Results pointed out personal, academic, and professional motivations in the three interviewed groups, although among the Brazilian students personal factors had a stronger influence, which can be related to their age and phase of development. Academic and professional motivations, however, prevailed among the professors and foreign students, the majority of whom were at the post-graduate level.

Keywords:
Internationalization of Higher Education; International Academic Mobility; Motivational factors