A recent study published by Nuffic reveals that digital international collaborations (DICs) are making international experiences more accessible to students in Dutch higher education. The report, Learning Beyond Borders, is based on survey data from 12,000 graduates from the 2020–21 and 2021–22 academic years and combines insights on both traditional credit mobility and DICs for the first time. 

According to the findings, more than 20% of graduates from research universities and universities of applied sciences had some form of international experience. Of these, 47.8% participated in physical mobility programmes lasting at least three months or 15 ECTS, while a nearly equal proportion engaged in online collaborations with peers abroad. Notably, applied sciences students were more likely to have such experiences than their research university counterparts (27.2% vs. 18.1%). 

Digital collaborations emerged as a more inclusive alternative to physical mobility, particularly for students from non-academic family backgrounds or those facing barriers such as financial constraints, caregiving responsibilities, or restrictive curricula. Unlike credit mobility, DIC participation did not correlate with parents’ education level, underlining its broader accessibility. 

The motivation behind participation also varied. Physical mobility was often driven by personal and societal development goals, whereas DICs were more frequently integrated into compulsory coursework. Learning outcomes were reported as another point of difference, with language proficiency most often mentioned as a learning outcome for DICs, while credit mobility alumni most commonly cited independence. 

Nuffic researcher Anneloes Slappendel-Henschen highlights the importance of aligning internationalisation activities with specific learning outcomes, encouraging institutions to intentionally choose between DICs and mobility based on curricular goals. 

Read the full report here.