The role of the university in enabling students‘ international mobility

The proposed paper will address the question, what are the effects of university support activities on student mobility? This question is empirically relevant because student mobility is among the core targets of reforms like the Bologna Declaration. In some countries, like Germany – the focus of this study – real-world developments lag behind lofty rhetoric. The question is also important theoretically, as it connects the literature about international student mobility and the literature about internationalization in higher education – a connection largely neglected in prior literature. The proposed paper will present the results of a survey study in a German university. Based on a data set of 388 responses (response rate 31%), we identify factors affecting student mobility and how they are influenced by the university’s support activities. We thereby contribute to both the literature on student mobility and the literature on university internationalization.