INTERNATIONALIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC: PERSPECTIVES FROM FOREIGN STUDENTS

Abstract

The article deals with the main aspects of the internationalization of higher education and focuses on the Slovak Republic’s improvement in attracting foreign students. The contemporary world requires employees with higher levels of knowledge and qualifications; as a result, nowadays higher education institutions have been competing to attract successful students and faculty members from all around the world. Mobility of students and academicians is promoted by the European Union’s (EU) higher education policies and the Slovak Republic has given priority to tertiary education. As a part of the European Higher Education Area and having bilateral agreements, the Slovak Republic has made significant progress in the internationalization of higher education. In the last ten years, the number of foreign students studying in The Slovak Republic has increased significantly. In this study, it is aimed to determine the reasons behind this increase from the eyes of foreign students. In the research conducted as a case study, interviews were conducted with 12 foreign students studying in the Slovak Republic. The findings were analyzed by content analysis and the following themes were reached: Economic reasons, educational reasons and social reasons. Key words: Internationalization, higher education in the Slovak Republic, higher education opportunities, foreign students in the Slovak Republic.