Arthur G Pellenq
Ph.D Candidate
Job Market Candidate, 2024-25
Economics
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References: Ben Ost, George Karras, Darren Lubotsky
Job Market Paper: The Effect of the Homogenization of Higher Education Systems on Student Immigration Flows
Abstract: This paper contributes to the literature on the determinants of student spatial mobility by examining the impact of a shared bilateral education system on the location choice of international students. To analyze this, a two-way fixed effect model is derived from a conventional random utility maximization framework for optimal location choice. The model suggests that the harmonization of the education system across countries enhances student mobility between nations by reducing immigration costs. By compiling a data-set of annual international student migration from 21 origin and 23 destination countries spanning from 1999 to 2009, I empirically test the effect of adopting a standardized tertiary education structure on bilateral student flows. Employing a staggered difference-in-differences model, I find that on average, when two member countries have implemented the reform, the origin country experiences an increase in the outflow of students to the destination country by approximately 35.3%. These results provide compelling evidence that the implementation of a standardized tertiary education system successfully accomplishes the objective of enhancing student mobility, as outlined by the Bologna Process.