In 2005, the Erasmus Student Network (ESN International) set out to get a better understanding of issues related to academic and non-academic mobility by means of  large-scale surveys (see ACA NL – July 2005 and March 2006). The results of last year’s survey, entitled “Generation Mobility”, have just been published and are based on answers from more than 8 000 mobile and non-mobile students in Europe. The aim of this exercise was to understand whether the experience of studying abroad has had a deep impact on the way students think about crucial topics like involvement in civic society and politics, religious belief, Europe and European integration and the use of new technologies, especially as compared to those students who have not spent a substantial period abroad.

Some key findings are:

• Mobile students’ worldviews are more international, they also tend to identify themselves with Europe rather then with their own nationality.
• A high value is given to family and friends, whereas religion and politics are ranked low by all students.
• Students are still more satisfied with their overall stay abroad than with their studies in particular.

ESN has also just launched the 2008 survey, labeled “Exchanging Cultures”, which will stay open until the end of August 2008. It strives to analyse topics such as cultural shock, integration with local culture and people and intercultural skills learned (www.esn.org/survey).

ESN 2007 survey results