This article examines the presence and inclusion of students from Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP) in Portuguese higher education institutions. While Portugal has historically received students from these countries due to shared linguistic and colonial legacies, recent changesets in higher education policies, together with demographic pressures, have intensified efforts to recruit international students, particularly from the PALOP context. Through a mixed-methods approach, the study analyses enrolment data from 2015 to 2022, identifying the twenty higher education institutions with the highest concentrations of PALOP students. Quantitative data from the General Directorate of Statistics of Education and Science (DGEEC) is complemented by document analysis and semi-structured interviews with institutional representatives. Findings reveal distinct institutional profiles in terms of student distribution, degree levels, and disciplinary focus, as well as divergent strategies for integration and support. While inclusion practices are uneven, the study highlights emerging patterns of institutional adaptation in response to internationalization imperatives and student diversity. The findings contribute to the literature on international student mobility in semi-peripheral contexts, showing how former colonial ties intersect with contemporary market and equity logics in shaping internationalization strategies.

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PALOP students,Internationalization,Higher education in Portugal,Inclusion policies,Semi- peripheral HEIs,Student mobility

• Other Social Sciences - Social Sciences

This publication is an output of the following project(s):

• Profile of PALOP students at HEIs in Portugal: characterisation, expectations, constraints