A Spatial Interaction Model for the Representation of the Mobility of University Students on the Italian Territory

Analysing the spatial distribution of university students over a national territory is of particular interest as this phenomenon is significantly correlated to the possibility of a region to maintain its competitiveness in the diffusion of knowledge-based processes. Hence, in this paper we propose a mathematical model based on an adaptation of classical spatial interaction models to represent the mobility of Italian university students. The results provided by the model are compared to official ministerial data, showing that the model can efficiently describe the students' mobility phenomenon.