Competition for talent. Country and organizational-level effects in the internationalization of European higher education institutions

Abstract

This paper analyzes the competition for skilled human resources between European higher education institutions (HEI) through a multi-level model predicting their ability to attract foreign researchers. Predictions of the model are tested on a dataset on internationalization of 601 HEIs in 8 European countries. We show that (1) the model is able to explain a large proportion of the variance in the levels of internationalization of academic staff between HEIs; (2) country factors are more important than HEIs’ characteristics in driving internationalization; (3) research-oriented HEIs in attractive countries have a larger share of international staff, whereas this happens only to a limited extent with similar HEIs in low attractive countries; (4) the association of research orientation with internationalization is mediated by the HEI's international network. These results have relevant implications for HEI's hiring strategies, as well as for national policies concerning careers and the mobility of researchers. We suggest that policies should be tailored to structural conditions of HEIs and countries, whereas imitating the approaches of highly attractive places might be damaging. Less-attractive countries should rather focus on training and career opportunities for young national researchers, as well as on instruments to keep linkages with national expatriates.