IMPACT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ERASMUS PROGRAMME ON THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF CROATIAN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

Analyses and results in this paper are tied to the research question on the influence of the extent of participation in decentralized activities of the Erasmus Programme on the internationalization of higher education institutions (HEIs) in Croatia (universities, polytechnics and schools of professional higher education). The fieldwork was conducted in the first half of 2015, and the data gathering was focused on the period from 2009 to 2013 during which Croatian HEIs participated in Erasmus Programme. We collected data related to the institutional capacities, procedures and practices of internationalization as well as to different barriers to the process of internationalization for and from 25 different Croatian higher education institutions. The main topics discussed in this paper relate to the institutional, administrative, financial and academic capacities of HEIs. For the purpose of answering the main research question, three methods of data collection and analyses were triangulated – content analysis, survey and in- depth interview. Content analysis included 174 documents, 88 questionnaires have been answered by Erasmus coordinators, and 12 semi-structured interviews were conducted with central Erasmus coordinators were conducted. Main results indicate that there has been a lack of management’s support for internationalization of the HE institution in general together with the discontinuity of development of the topic/dimension of internationalization within different types of HEIs. Furthermore, research results related to the financial capacities indicate that HEIs in Croatia are mainly relaying on funding received through Erasmus Programme, and are rarely investing their own financial resources with the goal to internationalize their programs or institution in general. Related to the administrative capacities, the “invisible work” of administrative personnel stands out as a most mentioned topic, together with the often mentioned importance of establishment of learning/support network of personnel from different HEIs. Finally, the results related to the academic capacities clearly show the influence that the Erasmus Programme has had on the introduction of courses in foreign languages and internationalization of HE curricula. Also, it is possible to discern difference in practices among universities, polytechnics and schools of professional higher education related to the organizing of lectures for international students, introduction of courses in foreign languages, inviting guest lecturers etc. This research provided important insight in the functioning of the HEIs in Croatia and development of their main capacities related to the process of internationalization and in the context of Erasmus Programme.