The article “Mapping PALOP student mobility and institutional responses in Portuguese higher education”, written by Clara Carvalho and Maria Antónia Barreto, was published in the scientific journal Studies in Higher Education, edited by Taylor & Francis.
The article analyses the presence and inclusion processes of students from Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP) in Portuguese higher education. Using a mixed methodological approach, the research examines enrolment data between 2015 and 2022, identifying the twenty institutions with the highest concentration of students from these countries. Statistical data from the Directorate-General for Education and Science Statistics (DGEEC) are complemented by documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with institutional representatives. The results reveal distinct institutional profiles in terms of student distribution, educational levels and subject areas, as well as differentiated integration and support strategies.
Although inclusion practices prove to be uneven, the study identifies emerging patterns of institutional adaptation in the face of internationalisation dynamics and growing student diversity. The article contributes to the literature on international student mobility in semi-peripheral contexts, highlighting how historical and linguistic ties are linked to contemporary market and equity logics in the definition of internationalisation strategies.
The article can be consulted online here.
This article was also written by Filipe Santos, Rui da Silva, and Isaiete Jabula.