How student mobility practitioners can benefit from research

EUROPE

While academia’s crucial role in society is relatively well known, the way research can have a more significant impact on it is something that needs more discussion as the European Commission’s focus on turning research into practical outputs in its multi-annual framework testifies.

While often referred to as an ‘ivory tower’, academia has much to offer, especially to professionals commonly identified as practitioners. They constitute, in fact, one of the closest communities to research, and many professionals even identify as scholar-practitioners.

This article presents an overview of possible ways to help professionals provide workers who handle the management of international student mobility (ISM) with useful scientific resources. This also allows them to get involved with researchers who are engaged in the study of ISM. The power of human relations will undoubtedly help practitioners fully exploit the potential of scientific research.

An important condition for research to be helpful in the daily work of practitioners is for both parties to be keen to engage with each other, grasping first-hand what different approaches to the same issue or object may sound like. This is not obvious and raises a critical question: How do you effectively bridge practice and research?

Unlocking the actual value of research tools requires a multifaceted approach. It is a process combining several steps, including embedding new habits and skills, plus a focus on avoiding becoming overwhelmed by the potential of research tools instead of taking advantage of them.

Check out the literature

One of the first steps when it comes to getting involved with ISM research is to consult the specialist literature.

There are several scientific journals focusing on this issue, such as the International Journal of Educational Research, the Journal of International Education, the Journal of International Mobility, the Journal of Research in International Education, the Journal of International Students, the Journal of International Research and the International Education Journal.

However, many other journals publish high-quality research about ISM despite their focus sounding different at first sight. For example, Higher Education, Higher Education Policy and Globalization and Society are critical sites for interesting discussion of the issues.

The take-home point here is that unlocking the value of research literature does not mean downloading the entire internet. You should instead understand which ongoing ‘conversation’ about ISM interests you the most, find the journals that publish the majority of articles on that topic, follow the texts specified in the bibliography and enjoy reading.

Be sure to save the material that interests you without getting lost in too many new resources. Effective research management practices, such as implementing a system for saving resources, their bibliographic information and related notes and summaries are essential. Higher education institutions often offer training to use these types of tools for both staff and practitioners.

Another way ISM practitioners can build and learn from academic resources is to use research databases (and, usually, higher education institutions grant access to their staff. Also, they have many features which do not require institutional access).

These tools enable practitioners to explore various research topics, discover academic findings and connect with expert authors. Be sure to consult high-quality material and continually assess the credibility of your chosen sources.

Databases exist for academic literature and, more generally, there is a range of other materials, including scientific articles, books and monographs about the ISM phenomenon. Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Scopus and the Web of Science are prominent platforms that provide comprehensive access to academic journals, research papers and scholarly articles.

Specialised datasets also exist to search for the newest data and more advanced statistics on ISM. You could consult UNESCO, Eurostat and the OECD, which track the flow of international students and provide valuable and specific data. Jointly called the UOE, they represent an umbrella organisation that focuses on student mobility and higher education.

In Europe, the EuroStudents project, Erasmus and the Bologna Process offer the most advanced statistics for mobility across the continent. Additional sources are the Erasmus Student Network, the European Migration Network and the International Association of Universities, among many others.

These tools do not require specialist knowledge, although a basic understanding of the Boolean operators – the basis of database logic – may help. Investing a few hours in learning the basics of searching databases could help to download large datasets on your laptop.

Take part in conferences

Participating in one of the several academic conferences that have become established venues for exchanging knowledge about ISM is a must for practitioners aiming to understand the phenomenon, its many versions and the range of analysis and perspectives about it. They are also of interest to practitioners looking for new research results.

Conferences are great for connecting and establishing personal relations with researchers and building a network. And while attending in person may not always be possible, virtual participation offers the chance to stay up to date about ongoing discussions since papers are also presented at a work-in-progress stage.

Important events include the International Sociological Association (ISA) World Congress, the largest gathering of sociologists in the world, or the Association of American Geographers’ (AAG) annual meeting, the largest gathering of geographers held annually in a different city in the United States.

The International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) research forum also brings together researchers from around the world to discuss developments in migration studies. Quite a lot of research on ISM has been undertaken in this area.

Mobility has also been a topic at the International Conference on Public Policy (ICPP). This conference brings together international scholars and practitioners to discuss current developments in public policy.

The European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) is a significant European association for political scientists where mobility and international education are discussed. In both cases, it is possible to attend these conferences.

Currently, in Europe, there are also prominent networks in which practitioners actively participate, such as the IMISCOE (International Migration Research Network) and ENIS (European Network on International Student Mobility).

Participating in academic conferences can also help practitioners to stay up to date about these activities, as can joining networks about ISM, which is another crucial way of getting involved with ISM beyond daily work practices. Looking for funds to participate in such networks and events is also a great way to start this journey.

Practitioners’ participation in such events can enhance their understanding of research development and how ISM is explained and analysed. This also helps raise researchers’ awareness of the struggles and challenges emerging ‘in practice’, helping bridge these two communities.

Bridging the gap

By embracing research as an integral part of their professional practice, practitioners can effectively harness its power to enhance their decision-making processes, improve their professional skills and contribute to positive changes within their respective fields.

Regular engagement with research empowers practitioners to stay informed, foster continuous improvement and make a lasting impact on the world around them.

By sharing their experiences, insights and findings through research publications or presentations, as well as their discoveries with peers, colleagues or mentors, they can promote collaboration, help bridge the gap between practice and research and enable diverse viewpoints to be heard.

In short, the real challenge for practitioners when it comes to embracing academic research is something other than just learning technical tools or reading tons of incomprehensible scientific literature every month. It is about bridging the gap between two close but different communities, and practitioners have a critical role in fostering real-life connections. It is vital that they get involved.

Dr Elina Apsite-Berina is an associate professor in the department of human geography at the University of Latvia. Dr Eleonora Erittu is a post-doc fellow at the department of political and social sciences, University of Bologna, Italy. They both are active members of the COST action: European Network on International Student Mobility (ENIS).

This article is a commentary. Commentary articles are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of University World News.

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