Students from Portuguese Speaking African Countries in Portuguese Higher Education

Abstract

Recently, African countries have been making efforts to expand their higher education systems. However, neither capacity nor quality have kept pace with demand, leading to a steady increase in students studying abroad. In this paper, we aim to analyse the development of enrolments in Portugal, one of the main destinations for students from Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP). Descriptive analyses were performed, disaggregating enrolments according to degree level, disciplinary area of study, and institution type. The results show that the choices of students from PALOP countries have followed different trajectories, in some cases with similarities. The public sector has the largest presence of these students, and polytechnic institutions have been the most frequent choice. Most of the students were enrolled in first degrees, except for those from Mozambique. Enrolments in Health, Services and "hard" sciences have increased, which may reflect the growing demand for highly qualified labour force in these countries. This paper highlights the continued importance of PALOP students for the internationalisation of Portuguese higher education and the need to avoid considering them as a homogeneous group of students.