Internationalization of education: motivations and benefits of academic mobility within the Erasmus+ Programme based on the example of Lisbon, Portugal

The internationalization of higher education is steadily increasing, which can be observed also in the growing number of university students benefiting from the European mobility program European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students (Erasmus+). The author’s survey questionnaire was used to investigate the motivations that influence the decision to participate in the Erasmus+ programme and to choose Lisbon as a student exchange city, as well as to learn about the benefits of mobility. Furthermore, the differences between the scholarship holders from Poland and those from other countries were presented. In general, students considered a number of factors when joining Erasmus+. International mobility plays an important role in both personal and educational development. The information obtained on academic mobility may contribute to the development and popularization of the idea of academic exchange programmes among students and may facilitate the planning of promotional activities of the university’s international relations offices.