Unlocking the potential of Erasmus+ in the WesternBalkans: A Students’ Perspective

Over the past decade, students from the Western Balkans (WB) have increasingly participated in academic mobility programs, especially from 2014 after the Erasmus+ programme replaced the original Erasmus programme. Yet their subsequent behaviour has been insufficiently researched within the field of migration research. To address this knowledge gap, this study investigates patterns in the migration of students following periods of academic mobility. In particular, it examines the willingness and motivation of young people who have benefitted from academic mobility programs such as Erasmus+ to stay in the WB – or emigrate from the region – after their studies abroad conclude. It then draws on this analysis as the basis for a series of recommendations that make the case for an Erasmus-style scheme for the WB region.