Studentmobilitet i høyere utdanning : Muligheten som fostrer ambisjoner og endrer selvforståelse

Abstract

The background for this paper is to identity how foreign exchange affects future prospects for students. In higher education today, studies, exchange, internships and field courses abroad is a possibility for many students, which creates student mobility where one can participate in higher education across national borders. Data was collected by interviewing students that had a variation in age, nationality and education. The only claim for participating in data collection, was that the students were at the moment students at University of Agder and had been or was currently on foreign studies. The analysis was completed with inductive analysis, where theory is based on the data collection. The analysis provided three main findings that were the following: 1. Altered self-understanding of exchange 2. Identity is afloat 3. Career aspects are influenced by competition and own capital It was evident that foreign exchange provided self-realisation. It appeared that foreign exchange in studies was meant to be an advantage for gaining employment, by gathering academic, cultural and linguistic skills. The national identity feeling was challenged , where the national feeling was strengthened even though one would live somewhere else in the future. This contributed to the argument that transnationality could be a outcome of foreign exchange in studies. Participating in foreign exchange was shown to be a contributor beyond ones local community, and the experience of facing new norms and values was a positive contributor for identity. It was augmented that foreign exchange contributed to cosmopolitanism and produced world citizens. Keywords: Internationalisation, Identity, Student mobility, Mobility, Cosmopolitanism, Foreign exchange, Higher Education