Understanding Student Mobility in Europe

Joana Almeida is Assistant Professor in Intercultural Communication at the University of Warwick, UK.

This book provides an excellent addition to the current international education literature in providing a robust European theoretical perspective on student mobility within European higher education.Darla K. Deardorff, Association of International Education Administrators, USA.Joana Almeida has done a great service to research about study abroad in this book. She has combined an admirably comprehensive and systematic analysis of the field - and a characterisation of its evolution - with her own mixed-methods study of contrasting experiences of varied study groups. Her book provides both a handbook-like introduction and a revealing and challenging empirical study.Mike Byram, Professor Emeritus, School of Education, University of Durham, UK.Student mobility is on the rise both in Europe and around the world and currently plays a major role in contemporary higher education at educational, policy and research levels. However, few studies provide appropriate theorization of student mobility as an area of study and professional practice. This work makes a major contribution to the field by advancing a comprehensive conceptual framework, resulting in an interdisciplinary approach to student mobility. The study suggests outcomes in three important areas: (a) personal, (b) linguistic and (c) intercultural, and concludes with suggestions for important activities to enrich the intercultural sojourn. This work is of value to all educators concerned with the quality design and implementation of effective study abroad experiences for their students.Alvino E. Fantini, Professor Emeritus, School for International Training, Vermont, USA.This is a valuable book that brings together in a highly original way the conceptual, educational and methodological foundations and practical applications of interdisciplinarity within the complex and multifaceted field of student mobility. In doing that, the author – Joana Almeida – challenges assumptions and argues convincingly for adopting an interdisciplinary approach which can have implications at both conceptual and methodological levels. Scholars, students, practitioners and policy-makers should read this innovative and accessible monograph in order to expand their awareness and understanding of study abroad, and make sustained contributions to improve the field. Mattia Baiutti, Researcher, Fondazione Intercultura, Italy.

• Introduction Part 1: Foundations of an interdisciplinary approach 1. Conceptual foundations 2. Educational foundations 3. Methodological foundations Part 2: Applications of an interdisciplinary approach 4. Pre-departure 5. Adaptation 6. Outcomes and Transformations Part 3: Implications of an interdisciplinary approach 7. Conclusions