EUROSTUDENT Talks
The EUROSTUDENT Talks webinar series presents speakers on various EUROSTUDENT-related issues, such as project results, dissemination activities, and policy-relevant topics.
The impact of COVID-19 on students’ well-being and approaches to learning in Denmark. Some thrive, while others don’t.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, students’ well-being and learning have become a concern. The lockdown during the pandemic caused a rapid shift from class-based to online teaching. The new online standards might be beneficial for some student groups, while others might have suffered from learning loss and mental health issues. At EUROSTUDENT Talks on 15 June, Amanda Weber from The Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science introduced some findings of the research conducted with David Vestergaard Eriksen. They investigated how COVID-19 restrictions affect students’ well-being and approaches to learning differently. The data consists of 57,744 answers from The Danish Student Survey, collected in autumn 2020.
It’s not the same to live in a house as to a small hall of residence: housing conditions, psychological distress and academic success of students in France during the first COVID-19 lockdown
Alexis Alamel from Sciences Po Rennes, Odile Ferry from French Observatory of Student Life and Elise Tenret from Paris Dauphine University introduced their research which explored the effects of the first COVID-19 lockdown on French students' housing situation, the relationship between housing and psychological distress and the relationship between housing and students’ academic performance and orientation. Their analysis is based on the 5,994 responses of students to two quantitative national surveys and 33 semi-structured interviews conducted amongst students living in university halls of residence in the North of France in spring 2020.
EUROSTUDENT microdata: How to use it and what you can do with it
Sylvia Mandl from the Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS), Austria, and Joris Cuppen from ResearchNed, The Netherlands, introduced the brand new EUROSTUDENT VII Scientific Use File 3.0, its contents, and explained where and how to apply for it. Furthermore, they presented inspiring examples from their own research (international student mobility, social integration of students) on the use of the microdata. Finally, they gave an outlook on the future SUF from the current eighth project round.
The student support system in mediating work-related dropout: a comparative analysis of four worlds of student funding
In this session, Triin Lauri, Assistant Professor at Tallinn University, and Kaire Pőder, Professor at Estonian Business School, presented their research that focussed on the determinants of student drop-out in different European countries. By using four most extreme cases of student funding - Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, and the Netherlands - they explained how the degree to which public financial student support buffers social disadvantages in mitigating student dropout varies across countries depending on how the systems of higher education, tuition fees and subsidies are organized.
Students‘ well-being, discrimination, digitalisation and effects of the pandemic. Insights from Estonia based on EUROSTUDENT 8.
At this webinar, the audience got an exclusive first look into the data on students' experiences and their situation in Estonia in 2022. Sandra Haugas and Elisabeth Kendrali from the think tank Praxis talked about fresh results from the EUROSTUDENT 8 survey, focusing on the four new themes: mental health and well-being, digitalisation, the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, and discrimination experiences. The webinar was exceptionally not recorded as it was an exclusive sneak peek at some EUROSTUDENT 8 results from Estonia that were only preliminary.
Working while studying – Trends, comparisons and context in the Czech Republic
At the EUROSTUDENT Talks on 26 January 2023, Lucie Hündlová and Michaela ¦mídová, both from Centre for Higher Education Studies (CHES) in Prague compared the results from EUROSTUDENT 8 (data collection in spring 2022) with the previous period. What does the “working-while-studying” phenomenon looks like now in the Czech Republic? Have pandemics and economic problems in society (e.g., inflation, rising energy prices) affected students' work patterns, activities and strategies? Have the reasons that lead students to work during their full-time studies changed significantly?
Looking Back and Ahead: Students' Current Challenges and Expectations for 2023
This year's last EUROSTUDENT Talks gives us the chance to get a valuable insight into student life. In the discussion four members of student unions from different countries share their thoughts and opinions about the major challenges that students are currently facing, but also what are their expectations for the year 2023. EUROSTUDENT is happy to welcome a very diverse and international group of speakers: Bjřrn Olav Řsteby from Norway (NSO), Bruna Bandula from Croatia (CSC), Carlotta Eklöh from Germany (FZS), and Katariina Järve from Estonia (EÜL).
Students’ Financial Situation and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Switzerland
How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect students’ financial situation and mental health in Switzerland in 2020? At EUROSTUDENT Talks on the 24th of November, we had a look at national-level results on students´ financial difficulties and mental health problems during the pandemic. Drawing on a specific questionnaire module integrated in the Swiss Survey of higher education graduates, the results show for the first time general trends and striking differences across student groups. Discover how the situation looks like in Switzerland at the webinar with Yassin Boughaba from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO).
Student funding by different welfare state principles – an empirical system comparison
Within the framework of social policy, there are three basic principles that can be used to design a social security system: 1) the welfare principle, 2) the supply principle and 3) the insurance principle. These principles can also be used to design a public student support system. But what results do countries actually achieve when they follow one of these principles in public student funding? Are there any differences, perhaps even important ones? Which system is better for students or society, when measured by certain characteristics?
EUROSTUDENT 8 results for the Netherlands: what do the Topical Modules show us?
On the 22nd of September, EUROSTUDENT Talks offered a chance to take a look at the results for the EUROSTUDENT 8 Topical Modules from the Netherlands. Ardita Muja and Joris Cuppen from ResearchNed covered in their presentation all the very intriguing and topical issues: a) impact of COVID-19; b) digitalization of teaching, learning and student life; c) students’ discrimination experiences, and d) students’ mental health and well-being. The webinar was exceptionally not recorded as it was an exclusive sneak peek at some EUROSTUDENT 8 results from the Netherlands that were only preliminary.
The Relationship Between Student Funding Policy and Student Welfare
Student funding policies – that is arrangements regarding scholarships, student loans, tax benefits, family allowances, and tuition fees – vary greatly across Europe. Yet, very little is known about their actual impact on students’ economic well-being and structure of their income. Do students in countries with more generous support have higher total incomes? Do they receive less money from parents or earn less on the labour market? On the aggregate level, there is certainly a concern about the effectiveness of funding policies in reducing student economic hardship. At next EUROSTUDENT Talks, Krzysztof Czarnecki - assistant professor at the Poznań University of Economics and Business - will examine how different student funding policies in Europe are related to: 1) student welfare mix, that is the share of income coming from parents, state, and labour, and 2) students' objective and subjective economic well-being. The analysis is based on the Student Support and Fees Dataset (2005-2015) and the EUROSTUDENT survey data.
International Student Mobility – How are We Doing After the Pandemic and What’s the Way Forward?
We know from the EUROSTUDENT VII data that most students (a cross-country average of 64%) who have been temporarily enrolled abroad organised the mobility period via the Erasmus(+) programme. In EUROSTUDENT Talks we are happy to welcome Juan Rayón González, the president of Erasmus Student Network, to discuss how has the pandemic affected international student mobility and what are the changes and challenges ahead.
Making previous learning count - flexible pathways into and within higher education
Students who enter higher education later and use alternative qualifications are often older, have children and are also more likely to be first-generation students. Whereas in most EHEA countries, alternative access students make up less than 10% of the student population, the share is considerably higher in some countries. At our next EUROSTUDENT Talks webinar, we will examine the role of higher education institutions in facilitating the entry of non-traditional student groups through alternative access routes. Join us to learn about good practices of higher education institutions in Malta and Estonia.
How WEIRD are transnationally mobile students?
Are there any differences between degree and credit mobility? What determines mobility patterns in a global perspective compared to the European perspective? Do differences also exist between genders when looking at student' mobility patterns from a global perspective? Is there a connection between countries’ degree of academic freedom and their attractiveness as study destination? If you are interested in discussing these questions, come and join the next EUROSTUDENT Talks where we are welcoming Eva Maria Vögtle, a researcher from DZHW, Germany. Eva Maria will talk about some of her publications in the field of international student mobility in comparative manner, also contrasting them to EUROSTUDENT findings.
MAKING IT HAPPEN: THROUGH DATA TOWARDS DIVERSITY, INCLUSIVENESS AND EQUALITY IN HE
As in January a new European strategy for universities was published, next EUROSTUDENT Talks will focus on this freshly launched material and discuss how we could, using data smartly, move towards diversity, inclusiveness and equity in our HE systems. We are happy to welcome Lucie Trojanová from the European Commission, who will introduce the ideas of this strategy from the EU perspective. Kaisu Piiroinen and Berto Bosscha from two EUROSTUDENT countries, Finland and the Netherlands, will join the discussion to reflect on the strategy and how they think EUROSTUDENT data help countries to achieve the goal of inclusive HE.
Students With Impairments in Higher Education - Supported Enough or Rather Left Out?
According to the EUROSTUDENT data, on average, a quarter of students with impairments (SWI) often feel out of place in higher education – this figure is 10 percentage points higher than among students without an impairment. How satisfied are SWI with their experiences in the academic environment? Are they supported enough? What could be done in higher education institutions (both by the staff and fellow students) and by policy-makers to better facilitate both academic and social integration of SWI? Come and join EUROSTUDENT Talks webinar on the 27th of January at 11CET to find out more about this topic! We are happy to welcome Jakob Rosin, a radio journalist, leader of Estonian Blind Union and an alumnus of Tallinn University, who will share his own experience in higher education and reflect the subject in broader, policy sense as well.
Looking Back and Ahead: Students’ Current Challenges and Expectations for 2022
This year's last EUROSTUDENT Talks webinar gives us the chance to get a valuable insight into student life. In the discussion four members of student unions from different countries will share their thoughts and opinions about the major challenges that students are currently facing, but also what are their expectations for the year 2022. EUROSTUDENT is happy to welcome a very diverse and international group of speakers: Ángel Canal from Spain (CREUP), Damir Solak from Czech Republic (SK RV¦), Horia Onita from Romania (ANOSR), and Jacob Blasius from Denmark (DSF). Come and join us at a pre-Christmas webinar in Zoom! (no pre-registration required)
Academic Satisfaction of International Students at Irish Higher Education Institutions
EUROSTUDENT data has important use for higher education policy makers at national and European level, and also informs and enables research into students' lives in Europe. But how are researchers using EUROSTUDENT data? Join this webinar where Mairéad Finn (Trinity College Dublin) and Georgiana Mihut (University of Warwick) talk about their academic article which sought to understand what explains higher levels of academic satisfaction among international students, including concepts of cultural distance and marketization. While their analyses was situated in the Republic of Ireland, it has implications for other European countries.
Internships: The Bridge from the World of Education to the World of Work
For the first time in EUROSTUDENT, more detailed information has been collected regarding internships during studying in higher education. How common is following an internship in EUROSTUDENT countries? How well do internships prepare students for the labour market? Come and dive deeper into this topic at EUROSTUDENT Talks webinar taking place on the 28th of October with Froukje Wartenbergh-Cras!
Interactive National Profiles: How does the new tool aid purpos-driven use of EUROSTUDENT data?
Kaur Saarepuu, a data visualization specialist who brings together UX design, programming and data analysis, introduces EUROSTUDENT Interactive National Profiles at the EUROSTUDENT Talks webinar.
EUROSTUDENT Talks - The Social and Economic Conditions of Students in Europe - Report and Database
The report “Social and Economic Conditions of Student Life in Europe. EUROSTUDENT VII 2018-2021. Synopsis of Indicators “ and the new EUROSTUDENT database will be presented at a webinar next Thursday, 11 a.m. CEST – access the Zoom link by clicking on the picture below. You are invited to join this presentation, and are also very welcome to forward it – the link is open. The presentations will focus on the main results of the EUROSTUDENT report and introduce the features of the new database. Upcoming monthly webinars in the new “EUROSTUDENT Talks” format will highlight different outputs of the EUROSTUDENT VII project round – more information to come!