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Volume XV |

The role of geographic and socio-demographic factors in socio-cultural adaptability of international students

Abstract: International students constitute a temporary population within the host country. In the age of increasing global mobility, societal fluidity, and the internationalization of higher education, studying abroad requires complex adaptation to new academic and socio-cultural environments. Focusing on the Serbian context, this paper examines the relations between international students’ geographic and socio-demographic characteristics and changes in various aspects of their lives and personalities following their experiences abroad, particularly as influenced by socio-cultural adaptation and cross-cultural interaction. Data were collected using Limesurvey. Statistical analyses included a series of t-tests and a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings are interpreted within the frameworks of acculturation theory and cross-cultural adaptation theory.
The results indicate that most respondents view studying abroad as transformative, with nearly half reporting significant personal change. Geographic factors, such as country and continent of origin, and socio-demographic characteristics, including sex, age, education level attaining abroad, and length of stay, influence both the nature and extent of these changes following their study abroad experiences.

Volume XV |

Bibliometric analysis of forced migration

Abstract: This bibliometric analysis systematically examines the evolution of scientific research on forced migration between 1974 and 2025. Using data extracted from the Scopus database and processed through the Bibliometrix package in R, the study investigates publication trajectories, international collaboration patterns, and thematic developments across five decades. The analysis aims to identify major research areas, influential authors and institutions, and emerging conceptual directions within this geographically diverse field. Results indicate a steady and substantial growth in scholarly output, with an annual growth rate of 9.41% and an average of 15.56 citations per document, reflecting the increasing global relevance of displacement as a social, political, and humanitarian challenge. Collaboration networks show strong academic linkages among Europe, North America, and parts of Asia, although notable regional disparities persist, particularly in areas heavily affected by displacement but underrepresented in academic production. Thematic clustering and Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) reveal three dominant research fields, including determinants and governance of migration, humanitarian responses and conflict induced displacement, and typologies and trajectories of forced migration. These findings clarify the field’s conceptual landscape and emphasize the need for broader international engagement and increased research contributions from understudied regions. The analysis offers a structured foundation for future investigations and supports the development of more informed and context sensitive approaches to understanding contemporary displacement dynamics.