Intentionality as a relational agency in the internationalisation of higher education

Abstract

ABSTRACT Internationalisation of higher education is often interpreted as an intention of nation-states, universities, or other organisational units pursuing a better environment and practice for cross-border exchange and learning. The agential roles of individual scholars are often overlooked, or are interpreted as offshoots of institutional intentions. This paper argues that academics are not only the participants of various international projects but also the key agency shaping the assemblage of interests, resources and processes that enable successful relations. However, given the complexity of organisational legacies and competing interests, this assemblage can lead to unintended consequences. Making sense of a relational agency may require dealing with cultural misinterpretations that thwart the organisational constructs of internationalisation.