In many Western countries, the internationalization of higher education is driven by the aim of attracting more full-fee-paying international students. A business model guides this agenda to generate revenue for universities with a steady decline in public funding. In contrast, the recent "Study in India" mission of the Indian government has been driven primarily by the philosophy of "Internationalization at Home," aimed at providing international and intercultural experiences to both domestic and international students. This paper presents preliminary evidence from an ongoing national survey funded by the Indian Council for Social Science Research (ICSSR) to discuss ways to fulfill the "Study in India" mission and build inclusive futures, nurturing global citizens for sustainable development.

ABSTRACT The internationalisation of higher education in Latin America has increasingly incorporated internationalisation-at-home initiatives, among which Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) has become central. Often framed as a democratising strategy for fostering intercultural competence, these initiatives operate within platform-mediated environments shaped by symbolic hierarchies, technological inequalities, and regimes of professional visibility. This article examines how whiteness – understood not as a phenotypic attribute but as an ethos of modernity and legitimation – is performed within digitally mediated intercultural encounters. The study analyses a tri-national COIL experience involving communication students from private universities in Peru, Mexico, and Colombia, conducted through the professional networking platform LinkedIn. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combines survey data from 119 students with qualitative analysis of 15 group-based digital self-presentation artefacts. Findings indicate that technological capital functions as a key symbolic divider, privileging visibility linked to technical fluency and professional respectability. A dissonance emerges between students’ declared commitments to intercultural openness and their interactional practices, which remain limited and exhibition-oriented. Cultural difference is frequently articulated through depoliticised and affectively safe repertoires, notably gastronomy. The article argues that digital internationalisation reconfigures interculturality as a regulated and aspirational practice aligned with global professional norms.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 marks a transformative framework aimed at reshaping India's education system, yet its implementation and evolving trends require comprehensive scholarly examination. This systematic literature review identifies and synthesizes research on NEP 2020, focusing on five key dimensions: education trends and development, the impact of COVID-19, internationalization of higher education, digitalization in education, and social and health-related trends. We analyze the policy's trajectory by mapping its theoretical underpinnings, practical challenges, and emerging patterns across these domains. The methodology involves a rigorous selection process to identify relevant studies, followed by thematic analysis to discern dominant trends and gaps. Findings reveal that NEP 2020 has spurred significant discourse on equitable access and multidisciplinary learning, while the pandemic accelerated digital adoption, exposing infrastructural disparities. Internationalization efforts remain nascent, with debates on cultural integration and global competitiveness. Digitalization emerges as a dominant theme, though uneven implementation raises concerns about inclusivity. Social and health-related trends highlight the policy's emphasis on holistic development, yet empirical evidence on its effectiveness remains limited. The review concludes that while NEP 2020 presents a visionary roadmap, its success hinges on addressing systemic inequities and fostering stakeholder collaboration. This synthesis not only consolidates existing knowledge but also identifies critical areas for future research, offering insights for policymakers and educators navigating the policy's complexities.

This conceptual paper examines how Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) can be repositioned within digitally-enhanced global classrooms to advance epistemic justice and curriculum relevance in South African higher education. A critical-interpretive conceptual design combines an integrative literature review (2013–2025), with illustrative South African cases in Technology Education and higher-education internationalisation. Sources include peer-reviewed scholarship, national policy, and scholarly books, synthesised through three lenses, epistemic justice, decoloniality, and Ubuntu-informed self-directed learning. Eurocentric defaults in digital pedagogy risk reproducing exclusions; a hybrid framework integrating IKS with 4IR tools (AI, AR, OER) enables multilingual, community-embedded, and ethically grounded curriculum design. Enablers include policy alignment, capacitation of academics, ethical protocols for Indigenous intellectual property, and South–South collaborations. Targeted actions are proposed for DHET/CHE (epistemic-diversity criteria in QA/accreditation), universities (governance, funding, digital inclusion), curriculum committees (IKS-aligned review rubrics), academics (culturally responsive, multilingual digital pedagogies), EdTech partners (co-design with communities), and funders (IKS-centred digital archives/infrastructure). The paper offers a theoretically coherent hybrid knowledge framework and a policy-to-practice roadmap connecting IKS, digital pedagogy, and curriculum internationalisation, thereby advancing scholarship on epistemic justice in global higher education.

In the annals of comparative education, there have been several scholars whose focus evolved into the field of higher education, particularly comparative and international higher education. Long the most prominent example, of course, is Philip Altbach, sometime editor of the major U.S. journal Comparative Education Review and, for many years subsequently, director of the renowned Center for International Higher education at Boston College. Other examples include Professor Qiang Zha at York University, Canada, Professor Ruth Hayhoe at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Toronto, Terri Kim, formerly at the University of East London, and the current author at the University of Sydney. In all these latter cases, the solid training in comparative education, at what was at the time the University of London’s Institute of Education, now University College, London (UCL), proved a strong foundation for subsequent work in international higher education.

ABSTRACT In recent years, the internationalisation of higher education in non-Anglophone contexts has become intertwined with the Englishisation of higher education. English Medium Instruction (EMI) has experienced a dramatic boom, with China and Japan at the forefront of this change. There is widespread speculation about the growth in EMI and the reasons why students enrol in such programmes, yet research is lacking with key stakeholders. Using questionnaires with students (n = 702) and staff (n = 28), interviews with students (n = 29) and staff (n = 28), and 10 focus groups (students and staff), we respond to the need for research examining stakeholders’ perceptions on the key driving forces behind and students’ motivations for enrolling in, EMI programmes. Our ‘bottom-up’ exploration of the ideological underpinnings of EMI growth not only reveals a multitude of explanatory factors but also illuminates discrepancies between the perceptions of students and instructors. These findings aim to inform EMI policy implementation and programme development and delivery as well as student recruitment and retention. The paper also assists EMI developers in understanding both the needs and motivations of students, as well as the concerns of staff.

ABSTRACT International student mobility is increasingly shaped by intertwined logics of cooperation and competition, yet many internationalisation frameworks still overlook their synergistic potential. Adopting a Yin-Yang lens as a de-Westernised theoretical framework, this study examines how the competition–cooperation dynamic is constructed within China’s international student education policies and how international students are represented beyond the conventional framing as para-diplomats. Based on a critical policy discourse analysis of 50 national-level policy texts, the findings show that China’s competitive (Yang) logic operates on two interlinked fronts: an outward-oriented pursuit of global influence through soft power and an inward-facing alignment with domestic development priorities. This competitive orientation simultaneously produces and deepens cooperative (Yin) outcomes, including value-based narratives and development-oriented partnerships. Within this hybrid policy logic, cooperation actively functions as an integral mechanism that disciplines competition and promotes global solidarity. International students in China are no longer constructed solely as para-diplomats, but increasingly as multifaceted policy subjects: cultural intermediaries, contributors to innovation, and relational actors facilitating international understanding. Through the Yin-Yang perspective, this study extends existing debates on coopetition in international higher education and offers transferable conceptual insights for non-Western contexts seeking to reconcile national development ambitions with global responsibility.

ABSTRACT This study investigates academic literacy challenges faced by international postgraduate students in STEM disciplines at a South Australian university. We evaluate the impact of a curriculum redesign in a postgraduate STEM course, drawing on survey data which identified persistent difficulties in paraphrasing, summarising, synthesising, referencing, and spoken communication. In response, the course “Advanced Professional Skills”, was redesigned to embed discipline-specific literacy supports and collaborative learning strategies, including Team-Based Learning (TBL). Quantitative findings from pre- and post-semester confidence surveys, student evaluation data, and GPA comparisons reveal significant improvements in student confidence, academic performance, and engagement. Qualitative reflections highlight the importance of fostering belonging, motivation, and professional readiness. The results affirm the value of embedded, research-informed teaching practices in supporting international student success. We provide a replicable and scalable framework for integrating academic literacy into postgraduate curricula and contribute to scholarship of teaching and learning in international higher education.

The internationalization of higher education has become a global imperative, shaping national strategies and institutional priorities in many countries. In Uzbekistan, higher education internationalization represents a strategic component of educational reforms aimed at enhancing academic quality, competitiveness, and global integration. This article examines the goals underpinning Uzbekistan’s internationalization policies and analyzes the principal institutional challenges that universities face in aligning with global standards. Drawing upon policy documents, institutional reports, and comparative higher education research, the study highlights key areas of progress—such as curriculum reform, language instruction, and international partnerships—as well as persistent barriers including resource constraints, faculty development, and quality assurance frameworks. The findings suggest that while substantial policy momentum exists, effective implementation requires systemic coordination, capacity building, and sustained investment at both national and institutional levels.

In the context of increasing internationalization in higher education, intercultural communication has become a crucial factor influencing international students’ learning experiences, particularly in English language classrooms. This mixed methods study investigates international students’ perceptions of intercultural communication and examines how intercultural communication experiences affect their engagement in English language classrooms at Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City. Quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire administered to 64 international students, while qualitative insights were obtained from semi-structured interviews with six purposefully selected participants. The questionnaire data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the instrument demonstrated high internal reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.914). Interview data were analyzed thematically to complement and deepen the quantitative findings. Guided by Byram’s (1997) Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) framework, the results indicate that international students generally hold positive perceptions of intercultural communication and recognize its value in enhancing cultural understanding, learning motivation, and English language development. Intercultural communication experiences were found to positively influence students’ behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement, particularly by increasing motivation, improving listening and speaking skills, and preparing students for future academic and professional contexts. However, moderate challenges related to communication anxiety, cultural differences, and limited naturalness in English use were also identified. The study highlights the importance of supportive pedagogical practices, culturally responsive teaching, and institutional support in fostering effective intercultural communication. The findings contribute empirical evidence to intercultural communication research in the Vietnamese higher education context and offer practical implications for English language teaching in multicultural classrooms.

This study integrates a systematic literature review (SLR) with bibliometric analysis to examine global disparities in the internationalization of higher education from 2000 to 2025. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, 58 empirical studies were selected from Scopus and Web of Science. The research identifies thematic and methodological patterns, maps key regions and actors, and reveals tensions and inequalities embedded in internationalization processes. Results show a marked concentration of publications in the Global North, particularly in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, and Japan, reinforcing structural imbalances in knowledge production. English-language journals dominate scholarly dissemination, limiting visibility for research from Latin America, Africa, and Central Asia. Thematic clusters include academic mobility, educational diplomacy, institutional branding, and epistemic justice, with recent studies incorporating critical perspectives on race, gender, and power. Despite emerging inclusive narratives, persistent barriers remain, such as linguistic hierarchies, dependence on global rankings, and limited South–South collaboration. The findings indicate that internationalization is not a neutral or universally beneficial process but is shaped by power dynamics favoring specific institutions and regions. This study contributes by advocating for more equitable approaches and emphasizing epistemic justice, multilingualism, and horizontal collaboration as essential for democratizing higher education.

Access to study abroad in higher education is still limited to students from affluent backgrounds or with outstanding academic results. To make this experience more inclusive for many, internationalisation in higher education has shifted its paradigm in the last few decades from the conventional demarcation of student mobility abroad to internationalisation at home (IaH) and internationalisation of the curriculum (IaC). Global learning is a high-impact educational practice that provides students with unique, authentic learning experiences beyond the classroom. This innovative teaching approach brings about a paradigm shift in classroom delivery and helps students explore different worldviews, cultures, and life experiences, globally and boundlessly. Global learning fosters intercontinental awareness and appreciation of diversity. In this session, students will gain extensive knowledge and understanding from experts and industry players overseas about the topics they learn in class.

The Policy Framework on the Internationalisation of Higher Education in South Africa (PF) acknowledges the strategic priority of international research collaboration for the country, and the role of cross-border and collaborative provision of higher education in this. Joint and double degrees are considered effective means for enhancing and expanding international research collaboration. However, implementing these international collaborative degrees is complex. Arranging for joint supervision, examination and award of a joint degree with a global partner institution, or establishing a joint programme by integrating two existing programmes and delivering the offering collaboratively, is intricate because these efforts intersect with countries’ national regulations and policies governing the delivery and award of qualifications. While the PF permits “joint degrees”, it does not allow “double (or dual) degrees”. We assert that the PF exhibits several shortcomings. The parameters for collaborative degrees are challenging to implement due to outdated influences on prescribed definitions and practices, and the ban on all so-called double (or dual) degrees undermines the PF’s goal of strengthening international research collaboration. This article illustrates the value of the “joint programmes” concept to unlock understanding that not all double degrees conform to the PF’s definition. It also demonstrates the utility of ‘integration’ and ‘jointness’ as criteria that can be applied to distinguish a double degree resulting from joint programmes from those that do not, but which may also be identified as double, dual or consecutive degrees. This challenges the exclusion of all so-called “double” degrees from the PF.

In Japan, the internationalization of higher education is often narrowly equated with the universalization of English. However, this perspective overlooks two key realities: the majority of international students in Japan are not native English speakers, and both faculty and students often have limited English proficiency. As a result, Japanese—the dominant local language—remains the primary medium of everyday communication. This study adopts a qualitative approach to explore the experiences of Chinese international students, who make up the largest segment of Japan's international student population. Twenty one participants were selected for semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The thematic analysis reveals a three-dimensional cognitive framework shaping participants' attitudes toward Japanese: (1) symbolic perceptions of the language; (2) functional roles it plays in various social contexts; and (3) its hierarchical position within their multilingual repertoire. Simultaneously, they experience tensions of dual cultural belonging while negotiating their evolving identities as educational migrants and potential long-term residents.

This study critically examines how U.S. International Student Services Offices (ISSOs) represent Global Citizenship Education (GCEd) on their websites. Employing critical discourse analysis, it explores the discursive strategies used to foster global citizenship among international students. The analysis identifies four key themes: (1) emphasis on “Living in the U.S.”, (2) neutrality toward global political issues, (3) absence of explicit GCEd spaces, and (4) inconsistencies in vision and mission statements. Findings suggest that ISSOs often promote a U.S.-centric, neoliberal, and implicitly colonial framing of GCEd, which may limit the transformative potential of global citizenship. The study proposes a framework of four levels of GCEd engagement as reflected in ISSO communications. It argues that higher education institutions must strive for deeper, more critical engagement with global issues if they are to genuinely cultivate global citizenship as an institutional goal in higher education internationalization.

Introduction: The internationalization of higher education has become a strategic process essential for addressing the challenges of a globalized world. This phenomenon, driven by academic mobility, inter-institutional cooperation, and the adoption of international standards, has transformed university management and its core functions. Objective: To critically analyze Indicator 3, “Internationalization and Mobility,” of the 2023 External Evaluation Model for Accreditation by CACES in Ecuador, in relation to its impact and approach to the internationalization process. Methodology: The study followed a qualitative approach through documentary analysis and literature review. Official regulations and scientific articles were collected, prioritizing those published within the last five years. The analysis was structured into three phases: document selection, thematic coding, and theoretical triangulation. Results: Indicator 3 evaluates the planning, implementation, and monitoring of internationalization strategies through academic mobility, institutional agreements, networks, and international accreditations. It acknowledges the presence of a responsible unit and the integration of evaluation processes for continuous improvement. However, its qualitative nature limits inter-institutional comparability and tends to prioritize documentary evidence over transformative outcomes. Conclusion: The model provides a significant foundation for strengthening the quality of higher education in Ecuador. Its qualitative approach emphasizes documentary evidence. While not all institutions may show high levels of mobility or signed agreements, they can demonstrate solid, innovative, and sustainable strategies.

The internationalization of higher education has led to a growing number of international students, particularly from Asia, studying music-related programs in United States, yet little systematic exploration has revealed the experiences of these students and the challenges, successes, and intercultural understandings they must navigate to complete their education abroad. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the experiences of East Asian international students in American music education degree programs. The following questions guided this study: What are the experiences of East Asian international students in American music education programs? What differences in school/educational/social cultures are present and how are they navigated? The experiences of four Asian international students were examined through two rounds of in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Data sources for this study included interview transcripts as well as extra information gleaned through the member-checking process. Several themes emerged: navigating professional challenges, language barriers, lack of inclusivity and representation, and navigating cultural differences in educational and social contexts. These findings provide crucial insight for university faculty to foster more inclusive music education environments by emphasizing the importance of mentorship, cultural understanding, and supporting international students’ career development while also recognizing their valuable contributions to the university community.

ABSTRACT Internationalization of higher education is not a novel phenomenon, but with commercialization and commodification of higher education, the importance of marketing has become a central issue. Attracting an increasing number of students from different countries could mean competitive advantage for higher education institutions, some of which often rely on international students as a source of income. The aim of this research is to measure how the perceived importance of, and the role played by higher education marketing varies in the internationalization process of higher education institutions globally. The research examines data from the sixth global survey of the International Association of Universities with 722 participating institutions. Correlation, factor, and cluster analysis were run to determine the perceived importance of marketing in the internationalization activities of higher education institutions. Results indicate a significant perceived importance of marketing activities in internationalization, with distinct global university clusters emphasizing different aspects of marketing activities.

This literature-based discussion analyses the University of Tsukuba Malaysia venture, Japan’s inaugural international branch campus, by examining existinghh literature to identify potential challenges the institution may face. A thematic analysis explores five key factors. Financial motivations are contextualised within internationalist and globalist paradigms, highlighting tensions between the two. Subsequently, the strategy of delivering a Japanese higher education experience is discussed in reference to Western neocolonial dynamics. The literature then suggests that leadership challenges necessitate experienced leaders and adept stakeholder management. Finally, operational and academic factors are examined with reference to the dichotomy of global integration versus local responsiveness. Previous case studies underscore the challenges of cultural integration and the need for a nuanced approach that balances home and local contexts. This inquiry enhances the understanding of Japan’s flagship foray into international higher education and offers critical insights for strategic decision-making and future research endeavours in the field.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between Cultural Intelligence (CI) and Intercultural Sensitivity (IS) and to test the mediating role of Internationalisation in Higher Education (IHE). A correlational survey design was employed with full-time academics in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (N = 391). Standardised instruments were administered: the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS), the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS), and the Internationalisation Perception Scale for Academics (IPSA). Construct validity and reliability were verified via confirmatory factor analysis, and the structural model was estimated using structural equation modelling (SEM) in SPSS–AMOS. The analysis revealed that CI exerts a positive and statistically significant effect on IS. CI was also found to be positively associated with IHE, and IHE demonstrated a positive and significant effect on IS. Mediation testing indicated that IHE functions as a significant partial mediator of the CI–IS relationship. Robustness checks with control variables showed that academic rank and faculty type have small but significant positive associations with IS. Overall, the findings suggest that the development of CI among academic staff directly enhances intercultural responsiveness and, additionally, strengthens IS through engagement with internationalisation processes. The results provide practical guidance for universities seeking socially sustainable internationalisation, indicating that institution-level strategies that embed intercultural learning and support academics’ international engagement may amplify the translation of CI into demonstrable intercultural sensitivity.