International mobility of students - Its impact on labour market forecasts and its contribution to the Dutch economy

International student mobility has rapidly increased in the past three decades: the number of students enrolled in tertiary education outside of their country of citizenship was 0.8 million in 1975, but it increased to 4.3 million in 2011 (OECD, 2013).1 This rapid increase can be explained by several factors: internationalization and standardization of higher education (e.g., the Bologna process in European Union countries), global increase in demand for tertiary education, faster information flows thanks to the advancements in communication and transportation opportunities, and policies to encourage student exchange through bilateral agreements (Tremblay, 2005; OECD, 2013; Van Bouwel & Veugelers, 2013)