In this paper we have investigated students' motivations for undertaking a full degree abroad. It examines how motivations can be categorised, and if this varies according to gender, social origin, field of study and mobility capital (previous experience of living abroad or parents who have done so). The analyses are based on a survey of Norwegian…

Higher education institutions are increasingly arranging international programmes to allow trainee teachers to spend periods abroad. In this way, teachers can compare diverse school systems and have the opportunity to reflect on their own teaching identity. This article focuses on trainee teachers' ideas and opinions that emerged during…

In this paper, we investigated how internationally mobile students from Norway diverge from students in Norway regarding social background, grades obtained at upper secondary school, and motivation to study. Data from two comparable surveys were used, one relating to students abroad and one relating to domestic students. Results showed that, on…

International student mobility (ISM) is often perceived to enhance career prospects. Surprisingly, the role of personality traits in explaining why students go abroad and relationships between ISM and labour market outcomes have received scant scholarly attention. Based on survey data from Norwegian graduates, we found that degree and credit…

This descriptive pilot study investigates and evaluates nursing students' perceptions of their learning gains and the factors contributing to academic integration within a one-week Intensive Programme (IP) course, part of the Nordplus Programme. Nordplus encourages mobility and curriculum development across Nordic and Baltic higher education. The…

This study explores how cross-cultural practicums can facilitate intercultural learning in Norwegian teacher education. The qualitative research reported here studies teacher-training students carrying out a teaching practicum in Tanzania. The findings indicate that there are several positive intercultural outcomes for these students. However, by…

The Bologna process and the 3+2-degree structure presents students with several decision points in higher education, both which bachelor's programme to choose, and whether to continue beyond bachelor. Based on a small-scale survey containing both closed and open-ended questions, this paper studies reasons the students give for entering a master's…

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether international student mobility (ISM) has an impact on the transition from higher education to work. Two measures of labour market outcomes are investigated: unemployment and skills mismatch. To go beyond existing research, we analyse whether the effect of ISM on these outcomes vary by fields of…

Between 2000 and 2015, Norway has experienced a large increase in the number of international students compared with many other countries. At first glance, this may seem paradoxical considering that Norway is a country with few well-known universities, a high cost of living, and a geographical location on the northern fringe of Europe. This…

In this paper, a comparison is made of the background and the early career of graduates with higher education from abroad to graduates with all domestic degrees, based on a survey among Norwegian graduates. Results show that those who have studied abroad constitute a selected group regarding social origin and mobility capital (exposure to…

An overview of cooperation among higher education authorities and institutions in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) is given, and agreements between those countries concerning the recognition of studies, diplomas, and degrees are outlined. (MSE)