Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian students’ in higher education perspective towards experiences in other countries and migration

Abstract

Despite the growing number of young people affected by international migration, university students’ migration is rarely a key issue at international debates as compared to other issues. This paper draws on surveys with Estonian (N=182), Latvian (N=359) and Lithuania (N= 159) university undergraduates to examine migration intentions and experiences and also to detect commonalities and differences between the three Baltic States. Theoretical basis based on modern statistical data and tendencies about migration among young people in the three Baltic States. Based on quantitative empirical analysis of data this project finds that a large number of the Baltic States university students express the desire to live abroad for short time, but differenced between three samples were in the area of either live abroad for a long time or permanently. It was revealed that the value of foreign experience was mostly positive, but connected with mixed emotions; and only one-third of the students were able to have a low-qualified job outside the country