A Community of Practice for Social Justice: Examining the Case of an International Scholarship Alumni Association in Ghana

Abstract

International higher education student mobility can lead to social change in the students’ home countries. This article examines the case of the Ford Foundation’s International Fellowship Program Alumni Association in Ghana and how it has organized to affect change. Findings show that this association has assimilated many of the attributes of Wenger’s community of practice (CoP) model. These characteristics include building strong communication systems, learning together in workshops, and solving problems through regular communication: activities that have improved their “practice” of social justice advocacy. The study also challenges the CoP model in three key ways relevant to international higher education, including highlighting how graduates incorporate their overseas education in their social justice practice and the limitations of diaspora engagement. Findings aim to inform administrators and participants of international higher education schemes, with a particular focus on international scholarship programs and those seeking to promote social justice.