A new study by the European Commission shows why student mobility between countries is now also a matter of technological competitiveness. Bulgaria remains faced with a serious challenge in preparing STEM talent.
The European Union needs to change the way it views student mobility—shifting from the movement of people between universities to a circulation of knowledge, skills, and talent that boosts the competitiveness of the European economy.
This is one of the key conclusions highlighting the new Study on balanced and inclusive learning mobility in the context of the European Education Area and the new higher education mobility target, published by the European Commission in August 2026.
The study arrives at a moment when Europe is simultaneously striving to increase students’ international experience while facing a growing demand for specialists in STEM, digital technologies, and innovation.
23% of Graduates Must Have International Learning Experience
The new European target is ambitious: by 2030, at least 23% of higher education graduates should have had a learning experience abroad. Alongside this, at least 20% of mobile learners should be individuals with fewer opportunities.
These targets are set out in the 2024 Council Recommendation “Europe on the Move,” and the Commission’s new study aims to provide an evidence base for the policies needed to achieve them.
Yet behind the mobility statistics lies another, increasingly crucial question: Where will the people Europe needs to attract for the digital and green transitions be educated and developed?
STEM is a Strategic Field for Mobility
The study views mobility as a tool for a broader circulation of knowledge and human capital. This is particularly significant for STEM fields, where students and graduates are among the most mobile groups and skills are highly transferable across borders.
Tech and engineering disciplines hold another advantage: the labor market for these specialists is increasingly international.
Unlike professions where proficiency in a specific national language is a primary prerequisite for employment, in programming, engineering, mathematics, natural sciences, and numerous tech professions, expertise can be applied across different countries and industries.
This makes student mobility vital for building Europe’s technological potential.
Bulgaria Faces a Serious STEM Talent Shortage
In 2023, only 23.7% of higher education students in Bulgaria were enrolled in STEM majors, compared to an EU average of 26.9%. Between 2018 and 2023, STEM enrollment in the country dropped by 8.6%.
At the same time, there is a positive trend in ICT: Bulgarian students enrolled in ICT programs increased by 18.8% between 2018 and 2023.
The problem lies with graduation rates. The share of STEM graduates in Bulgaria is 20.1%, compared to the EU average of 25.2%. For ICT graduates, Bulgaria is closer to the European level—4.9% compared to 4.7% for the EU.
Mobility: Both a Solution and a Risk
This is precisely where the new study raises a crucial question for countries like Bulgaria. When students go abroad, they gain access to larger research ecosystems, modern infrastructure, international research teams, and tech companies. This represents a massive opportunity for their education. However, a question arises for the state: How can part of this human capital remain connected to the national educational, scientific, and business ecosystem?
This is why the European Commission is placing emphasis on “brain circulation”—not simply a brain drain from one country to another, but a flow of people, knowledge, and skills that benefits both host and sending countries.
For Bulgaria, this means that Erasmus+, international university partnerships, and joint programs should be viewed not just as opportunities for students to study abroad, but as a way to build lasting links between Bulgarian universities, European research centers, and the tech sector.
Universities Must Compete for Tech Talent
The study places mobility in a broader context: the attractiveness of higher education. To attract students, universities must offer more than just a diploma—they need a high-quality educational and research environment. In STEM, this means:
-
Modern laboratories and research infrastructure
-
Strong ties with the tech sector
-
International research partnerships
-
Programs taught in English
-
Opportunities to work on real-world tech projects
-
Access to international academic networks
-
Opportunities for subsequent career development
In this way, the quality of STEM education becomes a tool for attracting international students.
Bulgaria Is Investing in STEM, but Results Must Reach Universities
Bulgaria is taking steps to enhance STEM education—including investments in school STEM environments, STEM labs, a national STEM center, and support for STEM instruction in higher education. Current data, however, indicates that this is not translating quickly enough into a larger proportion of STEM students and graduates. The European Commission identifies the low and declining share of STEM enrollments in higher education as a serious challenge to Bulgaria’s ability to meet the demand for skilled talent.
It is particularly telling that ICT enrollment is growing while overall STEM enrollment is falling. This indicates that interest in technology exists, but the country needs to expand this interest into engineering, natural sciences, and mathematics.
From Mobility to a European Tech Ecosystem
The European Commission’s new study does not treat STEM as an isolated topic, but its conclusions on mobility have a direct impact on tech education.
Europe needs a system in which a student can start their studies in one country, spend a semester in another, participate in an international research project, complete an internship at a tech company, and then apply that knowledge in another part of the European economy.
This is precisely why the Commission is addressing both degree mobility (where a student graduates in another country) and credit mobility (where a student temporarily studies or completes an internship abroad).
For Bulgaria, the task is two-fold: to provide more young people with access to international experience while simultaneously building a strong enough STEM and tech environment for them to return to.
Because in the competition for the next generation of engineers, programmers, scientists, and AI specialists, mobility is no longer just an educational opportunity. It is a core component of European strategy for human capital and technological competitiveness.
Source: European Commission, Study on balanced and inclusive learning mobility in the context of the European Education Area and the new higher education mobility target, 2026. Published August 28, 2026.
Photo: Pixabay
