MIGRATION OF STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE STUDY OF RADIOLOGICAL TECHNOLOGY, FACULTY OF HEALTH STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF MOSTAR

Abstract

The aim of the exploratory research and the presented results was to reveal the migration aspiration of the
students of the University undergraduate (baccalaureus) of Radiologic technology at the Faculty of Health Studies at
the University of Mostar, and in the discussion, part to compare the results with the research pre-conducted at the
same organizational unit of the University, among students of nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, and sanitary
engineering in 2018. Respondents and procedures: Respondents for this research were undergraduate students of the
University of Mostar, majoring in radiological technology. The survey was conducted from May 1 to June 1, 2022,
and the total number of respondents was 117. The survey was conducted based on a questionnaire created by the
migration team, and the same survey was conducted earlier in the already mentioned research. The instrument
consists of 18 items of open, closed, and combined types through which the following aspects were examined:
students' attitudes about continuing their education abroad; the perception of students in terms of looking for job
opportunities after completing their studies in the country or abroad; students' opinions about the possibility of
employment in the country with a diploma from the faculty they are graduating at; students' perception of the
reasons for continuing their education abroad and the reasons for looking for job opportunities abroad, and whether
students think that the Covid-19 pandemic influenced their decision. Statistical processing was done in the program
IBM SPSS Statistics 25. To respond to the set hypotheses and research subjects, descriptive statistical methods were
used, categorical variables were presented with frequencies and percentages, and numerical ones with arithmetic
mean and standard deviation. The chi-square test was used to test the significance of differences. Results: 117
undergraduate students participated in the research, of which 35 (29.9%) were first-year students, 44 (37.6%) were
second-year students, and 38 (32.5%) were third-year students. Of which 30 (25.6%) are male students and 87
(74.4%) female students. 69.2% of students answer that they plan to look for a job in the country with a completed
level of education. Slightly less than half of them, 45.3% of respondents, are thinking about going abroad and
continuing their education. Almost a third of respondents, 32.5%, believe that they can acquire better knowledge
outside the borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Slightly more than 70% of respondents plan to look for a job abroad,
which is an alarming and astonishing fact that more and more educated and young, promising people do not see their
future in their home country. Most of them plan to migrate to Germany. Almost half of all respondents would accept
to work outside their profession abroad, but only temporarily. Not even 30% of respondents expressed a desire to
return to their home country after finding a job abroad. Compared to the countries of the region, the percentage is
roughly the same in neighboring Serbia, slightly more, 43% of them would return to Croatia, while 60% of
respondents would decide to return to Slovenia. When it comes to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the absolute
majority of 91.5% of respondents believe that it has not influenced their decision to migrate. As the biggest reason
for dissatisfaction in their country, which would make them look for happiness elsewhere, respondents cite a high
rate of crime, nepotism, injustice, the impossibility of advancement, low wages, as well as a high rate of corruption.
Conclusion: Having seen the results and the reasons why the surveyed students express a general desire to leave and
find their happiness outside the borders of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we see that the brain drain trend continues.
There is a general dissatisfaction with the state of the economy, politics, and economy in a country where they do
not see their future, a suitable environment for achieving their goals, and a place they look at with hostility and
distrust of a better tomorrow. In order to stop the continuous aging of the population, the lack of able-bodied and
educated staff that we de facto produce, and that go abroad, a radical change is needed in all spheres of life in this
country. A very similar alarming situation exists in the countries of the region.