Mobility of phd students in sandwich: internalization of the institution or of the student?

Abstract

The aim of this article is to check if the mobility of PhD students in sandwich, in way it has been applied, represents the internationalization of the Institution or a particular experience of the PhD student. First of all, the bibliographic research about internationalization of higher education and the rules for PhD sandwich was done. It's a qualitative research that uses a semi-structured script with open questions for make interviews with seven PhD students. This instrument contemplating the whole process of mobility: from planning, operationalization, financing, execution and finalization and control. For the data treatment, the content analysis was adopted with the aid of the qualitative analysis software Atlas TI version 6.0. With the results it is possible to considering the process of PhD student's mobility in three different moments: steps prior to the sandwich, the sandwich and the return of the sandwich. Finaly, the conclusion is, although the PhD sandwich is a program of mobility of persons that should represented the internationalization of Institution, it is need adjustments, because the process, as it has been applied, is efficient only for the student.