Social aspects of transboundary education. Case study of Ukrainian students studying in the Subcarpathian region

Abstract

The paper presents the results of research on Ukrainian students studying in the Podkarpackie Province. The purpose of the paper is to show the motivations behind deciding to study in Poland as well as the social practices that appear during studying. For this purpose, a questionnaire research was carried out in 2015 and 2017 on a sample of 250 and 224 students respectively. The data was collected in an auditorium questionnaire. The students choosing to study in Poland were driven mainly by the opportunity to obtain a European degree, high quality of education, possibility to travel abroad and to avoid corruption. Their main problems after arriving in Poland included high prices, limited command of the local language and limited contact with Polish nationals. The surveyed students were most positive about studying conditions, relations with academic staff and modern infrastructure, while limited career opportunities for students and graduates were seen as the greatest downside to studying in Poland. The majority of students declared they would continue their education at master courses. Upon completed education, they intend to stay in Poland or relocate to the west of Poland.