Title: Clustering of Italian higher education institutions based on a destination: Specific approach Authors:  Luca Scaffidi Domianello - University of Catania (Italy) [presenting]
Silvia Bacci - University of Florence (Italy)
Bruno Bertaccini - University of Florence (Italy)
Abstract: Student mobility flows are typically examined using gravity models. These models generally assume a uniform relationship for each origin-destination pair. However, in cases where spatial interaction behaviour varies across the space, the estimated parameters reflect an average of these different relationships. This assumption may not hold for the Italian higher education system, where, as a consequence of the decentralization process, some universities have a national vocation while others primarily target local populations. For this reason, a destination-specific approach is adopted to gather detailed insights for each university. The empirical analysis based on destination-specific models reveals distinct interaction dynamics among Italian universities, corroborating the hypothesis of spatial heterogeneity. Additionally, a fuzzy clustering technique is proposed based on estimated distance parameters that measure the deterrence effect. The underlying idea is that universities with lower distance parameters are associated with wider catchment areas. Through this clustering procedure, two distinct groups are identified: one comprising universities with a national vocation and the other comprising those with a local focus.