Abstract:

In the higher education system, student mobility is permanently incorporated. It allows students to complete part of the study programme abroad and supports the education process by enabling students to take advantage of the best universities. Many different programmes, such as Erasmus+, provide financial support for this activity.

This paper compares the results of a study among Polish and Tajik students of Computer Science (CS). Its aim was to detect their perception of the opportunity to participate in a one-semester international academic mobility, i.e. to study abroad for one semester.

During the study mainly four hypotheses were tested:
H1. CS students have a positive attitude towards the mobility programme.
H2. CS students want to take part in academic exchanges.
H3. CS students perceive the international exchange programme as an opportunity to gain knowledge and skills, and enhance their future position in the labour market.
H4. Family reasons and a sense of terrorist threat are the primary causes of the students’ reservations about participation in the mobility.

In the study the same questionnaire was used among CS students of two technical universities: the Lublin University of Technology (Lublin, Poland) and the Technological University of Tajikistan (Dushanbe, Tajikistan). Both groups were subjected to the same research methodology and results processing.

The research methodology, results, and discussion concerning differences between the perception of the problem by the Polish and Tajik students are presented in this paper. Differences in perception of the participation in a one-semester international academic mobility between Polish and Tajik students are discussed in detail.

Keywords:

Student mobility, students' readiness for mobility, comparative study.