Investigating Erasmus mobility exchange networks with gravity models

Abstract

The Erasmus mobility exchange program is one of the most considerable cooperation and mobility networks in the world; however, the driving forces of the mobility exchange program are still questionable. Integrating various databases and including new indicators, such as crimes, collaboration, and culture, called the 3Cs in our model, offers us new insights into the driving forces of mobility. In contrast to most studies, this research is based on the entire Erasmus network, which is investigated at both institutional and regional (NUTS3 or county) levels. The advantage of investigating entire mobility networks is that it helps avoid sampling distortions. Nevertheless, the interpretation is more challenging than with other investigation scopes since most identified factors act as indicators rather than proxies of the driving forces of mobility exchanges. Despite this interpretation difficulty, conclusions about the entire network can only be drawn by examining the whole mobility exchange network. In this study, the network of Erasmus student exchange programs between 2008 and 2013 is investigated both overall and separated by subject area. The study identifies the individual, institutional, and county-wide driving forces of mobility. One of the main exciting findings that the applied gravity models suggest is that there are three principal driving forces, national culture, collaboration, and crime dimensions of the host countries, which have not yet been studied in terms of Erasmus exchange networks.