Barrier or Motivation: Stereotypes and Cultural Distance as Influencing Factors in the International Study Programmes

International study programmes offer growing number of possibilities to students to study abroad and gain knowledge all around the world. Higher educational institutions became the meeting points of different cultures. Several motivational factors can be listed regarding what influences students to study abroad, like favourable economic situation of the country, reputation of the university or the city where the institution is settled or even previous good experiences of friends or family members. But what happens if culture is involved in the decision-making process? Do students see cultural differences as barriers or do they hold the cultural distance between national cultures a motivational factor to consider? What role do stereotypes towards national cultures have on whether to study in a given country or not? The objective of the research is to examine the role of stereotypes – both positive and negative – and thus, cultural distance in the decision-making process of students towards international study programmes. The methodology involves literature synthesis regarding cultural distance and stereotypes; moreover, an empirical research was also conducted. Findings of the online survey research show that stereotypes are rather positive towards national cultures related to European countries, and cultural distance is seen not as a barrier but more as a motivational element which needs to be get acquainted with.