Student mobility. Between theory and practice?

Introduction: The Bologna Process has initiated the “culture of reforms” in higher education, conditioning the economic and social development of Europe. Erasmus Plus is an EU programme of education in 2014-2020. Despite the numerous benefits it offers to students, their mobility within the Erasmus Plus Programme proves to be low (not satisfactory). Purpose: Review the theoretical and practical aspects of student mobility, with particular emphasis on the Erasmus Plus Programme. Materials and methods: We searched for extant networks through peer-reviewed literature and the world-wide web. Additionally, we used a data analysis on the mobility of students of medicine and health sciences in 2005-2015 within the Erasmus Plus Programme, at selected university in Poland. Results: According to the educational standards in the European Union, students of medical faculties are obliged to complete 12 semesters of studies comprising 5,500 hours under teachers’ supervision. In Poland there are 5,700 hours – these additional hours account for mandatory physical education and foreign language classes which are not taught in other countries. Data from the last decade indicate that student mobility in Poland is an overestimated phenomenon as it concerns a narrow circle of students. Conclusions: A student who benefits from a scholarship under the Erasmus Plus Programme enhances their self-esteem and development opportunities. Participation in an international programme seems to bring benefits alone. In practice, however, there prove to be numerous barriers related to student mobility, such as financial problems, language barriers and issues related to the recognition (crediting) of a period of study completed at a partner university.