Mobility as a learning tool: educational experiences among Eastern European Roma undergraduates in the European Union

ABSTRACT

This article examines the educational experiences of Eastern European Roma undergraduates and analyses how the mobility process influences their access to university in different countries of the European Union. Drawing on 20 in-depth semi-structured interviews, the paper highlights the ability of students to (re)define their identity and to utilize the language skills acquired practicing mobility across several countries as well as the university degrees obtained, to combat Roma discrimination after finishing their studies. Findings suggest that education may become a tool to overcome the marginality and stigmatization of Roma. The paper concludes with observations about the new ways opened up by undergraduate Roma, which demand the reinterpretation of mobility and identity as a transformative experience and an essential strategy to fight the discrimination against and the exclusion of mobile Roma citizens.

KEYWORDS:

• Roma undergraduates
• education
• mobility
• identity
• learning

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. The Romaversitas Programme, in which they participate, (sponsor George Soros Foundation) offers scholarships, tutoring and special training for the elite who can speak foreign languages, to enhance both their academic performance and to help them develop a positive identification as Roma. This initiative supports 50 Roma University students annually, and is a model of intelligent sponsorship. http://www.romaeducationfund.hu/romaversitas-and-other-tertiary-education-support-programmes.

2. According to this document, each of the Member States must prepare or update existing national strategies for Roma inclusion to be in line with the national programmes which in turn are part of the overall European development strategy. file:///C:/Users/02750411W/Downloads/COMM_Framework_roma_strategies_EN.pdf.

3. The twelve countries currently taking part in the Decade are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Spain. Slovenia and the United States have observer status. https://www.rcc.int/romaintegration2020/pages/4/roma-decade-and-the-eu.

4. Defined as ‘the Union Programmes for education, training, youth and sport as well as on the 2014 Erasmus+ Annual Work Programmes – International dimension of Higher Education (Heading 4) and 2015 Erasmus+ Annual Work Programmes.’ http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/discover/index_en.htm.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia Innovación y Universidades [CSO2017-82238-R].