A0627
Title: Clustering of Italian higher education institutions based on the mobility choices of academic students
Authors: Silvia Bacci - University of Florence (Italy) [presenting]
Bruno Bertaccini - University of Firenze (Italy)
Luca Scaffidi Domianello - University of Catania (Italy)
Abstract: The present contribution investigates the dynamics of the mobility of Italian university students from the geographical area of residence (origin) to the university where the student is enrolled in a bachelor's degree program (destination). Student mobility flows are typically examined using gravity models. Gravity models generally assume a uniform relationship for each origin-destination pair. This assumption may not hold for the Italian higher education system, where, due to the decentralization process, some universities show national attractiveness while others attract mainly local people. Furthermore, the flow of students from the south of Italy to the universities located in the north is more often observed than that of the opposite. For these reasons, gravity models with both destinations are considered - and origin-specific distance parameters are used to gather detailed insights for each university and the student's province of residence. The empirical analysis based on the local deterrence effect and distinct interaction dynamics among Italian universities and provinces of origin validates our hypothesis of spatial heterogeneity. Then, a fuzzy clustering technique is proposed based on the estimated distance parameters to identify both homogeneous clusters of universities, on the one hand, and homogeneous clusters of provinces, on the other hand, sharing a similar deterrence effect.
