The University of the 21st century as a plurilingual and pluricultural space: the case of medical students in the context of migration in Romania

Abstract

This paper aims to present the motivations of a group of international students enrolled in the English division of the Faculty of General Medicine, at Ovidius University of Constanta, who intend to pursue medical training in Romania, to return to the country of origin after obtaining the medical degree or to go elsewhere for the medical specialty or to practice medicine. The main objective is to study the motivational process of this student population in the context of long-term academic international migration and temporary migration to Romania in order to determine the role it plays in the 21^st century university, which represents one of the actors in the knowledge economy. To do this, we use oral data collected through semi-structured interviews which will be subjected to qualitative and quantitative content analysis. The conclusions of this article will highlight the importance of the presence of international students in Romanian universities and the knowledge of their motivations in the context in which among their challenges are an increased attractiveness and visibility at an international level. This study can be important for other researchers interested in sociolinguistics, in international student migration for studies and in the study of language pathways and motivational factors and can offer a useful tool for all actors involved in the reception and the training of this category of students. The originality of the study lies in the fact that this category of international students, future doctors, as well as the context remain little discussed in national and international scientific literature.