Czech universities on the move: Changes in international student mobility and institutional preferences

This study analyses the spatio-temporal and institutional patterns of long-term international student mobility in the Czech Republic between 2001 and 2024, with a particular focus on the relationship between numerical growth and nationality diversity. Using data from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic,
the paper examines changes in the number of degree-seeking international students, their countries of origin, spatial distribution across university cities, and institutional preferences. The results confirm a more than sixfold increase in the number of international students, accompanied by a gradual diversification of source countries and a declining dominance of Slovak students. At the same time, the analysis shows that numerical growth does not necessarily correspond to higher diversity. While Prague represents a highly diversified and globally oriented centre, cities such as Brno or Zlín combine high concentrations of international students with relatively low nationality diversity, largely due to the strong presence of Slovak students. Based on the combination of quantitative and diversity indicators, the study identifies distinct types of internationalisation profiles across Czech university cities. These findings highlight the spatially and institutionally uneven character of internationalisation in Czech higher education and point to the importance of language policy, institutional strategies and geopolitical factors. The paper thus contributes to a more nuanced understanding of international student mobility in a Central European context, with implications for higher education policy and regional development.