How universities can learn to embrace internationalisation

Levels of internationalisation in higher education institutions in the Arab World are low compared to other regions around the world, according to a recent qualitative study that puts forward recommendations for institutions seeking to preserve cultural values while embracing international education.

The qualitative study, titled “The prevalence of internationalisation of higher education in the Middle East and North Africa: challenges and opportunities”, was published in Cogent Education on 15 July.

It surveyed 73 administrators and faculty in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Qatar to estimate the prevalence of internationalisation in five areas: strategic vision, international opportunities-choices, organisational resources, research endeavours, and international students.

The study found that most internationalisation activities focus on the recruitment of international students rather than the other four areas.

It also found “stark” regional variability in the Arab region, with Qatar featuring much higher levels of internationalisation compared to countries such as Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco.

The study suggested that the opportunity to increase revenue was an important driver of internationalisation, in conjunction with the desire to build global citizens ready to compete in a globalised job market.

The study noted that affordability of education offered by the region coupled with its proximity to areas of conflict played a role in the movement of students and faculty across borders.

However, in the absence of resources, funding, and human capital dedicated to internationalisation, the paper argued that internationalisation tended to be less of a priority for university administrators, a fact that presented challenges to the healthy development of internationalisation in the region.

Speaking to University World News, the paper’s author, Wael Yousef at Qatar University, said the work provides “guiding take-away measures” to higher education policy-makers and decision-makers in the Arab world seeking to “preserve cultural values while embracing international education”, which, he said, is considered “a significant point in producing skilled human resources with a protected Arab identity to drive sustainable development”.

“The biggest impediment to the implementation of internationalisation in the Arab higher education sector is the absence of a culture valuing international students, faculty, and partnerships.

“A lack of recognition of the value of internationalisation prevents leaders from appropriating sufficient financial and human resources for internationalisation. We also need to look for best practices everywhere rather than focus on the West,” he said.

The need for investment

A primary recommendation arising from the study was the need for investment in internationalisation by Middle Eastern and North African countries. Such investment begins by making internationalisation a strategic priority in the missions of institutions, the study states.

It argues that the allocation of full-time personnel for recruitment of students, faculty, and staff and the expansion of exchange programmes and study abroad opportunities were crucial steps in improving levels of internationalisation.

Another key recommendation was the incorporation of internationalisation as part of the operational budget of higher education institutions. The study argues that administrators needed to better understand the value of international students’ in generating revenue.

“Making internationalisation a primary component of the financial institutional portfolio compels leaders to allocate more resources to at-home and abroad internationalisation,” the study notes.

“Linking internationalisation with monetary planning in higher education forces administrators to treat the matter with special attention as opposed to a complimentary item deserving attention sporadically,” the study notes.

A clear roadmap

Professor Atta-ur-Rahman, UNESCO Science Prize laureate and former coordinator general of the Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation of the 57-member countries Organization of Islamic Cooperation, told University World News that internationalisation of higher education had become a significant trend in the 21st century, driven by globalisation and the need to prepare students for a connected world.

“This process involves integrating an international, intercultural, or global dimension into the purpose, functions, and delivery of higher education,” Atta-ur-Rahman said.

He agreed that Yousef’s study provided higher education policy makers in the Arab region with “a clear roadmap” for the promotion of higher education internationalisation.

“However the implementation of such a roadmap must be carried out in a careful way to gain the benefits, face the challenges and tackle the risks,” Atta-ur-Rahman stressed.

“While internationalisation offers numerous benefits, it also presents several challenges that institutions must navigate to maximise its potential,” Atta-ur-Rahman said.

Among the benefits, he listed the potential for internationalisation to “boost a university’s global standing, attracting top faculty, students, and funding”. A strong international profile could also lead to partnerships with prestigious institutions and organisations worldwide, he said.

“One of the foremost benefits of internationalisation is the enhancement of academic quality. Exposure to diverse perspectives and teaching methods fosters innovation in curriculum development and improves academic standards,” Atta-ur-Rahman said.

“Students and faculty benefit from a broader range of ideas and pedagogical approaches, leading to a more enriched learning environment,” he added.

Atta-ur-Rahman also pointed to the importance of cultural exchange and diversity. “Internationalisation promotes a multicultural campus, allowing students to engage with peers from different backgrounds,” he said.

Global society

“This exposure not only broadens their understanding of the world but also fosters tolerance and inclusivity, essential qualities in today’s global society,” he said.

He noted that global competence and employability were also important outcomes of internationalised education. “Employers increasingly seek graduates who can navigate diverse cultural contexts and contribute to international projects,” he said.

Other advantages included research collaboration that can address global challenges, and innovations in teaching and learning.

However, despite such benefits, internationalisation also poses several challenges, he argued.

“Ensuring quality assurance and accreditation is a significant issue,” Atta-ur-Rahman said. “International programmes must meet the same standards as domestic ones, which can be difficult due to varying educational frameworks and regulations across countries,” he argued.

He said language barriers present another substantial challenge as non-native English speakers may struggle with language proficiency, affecting their academic performance and social integration.

“Institutions must provide adequate language support to help these students succeed,” Atta-ur-Rahman said.

He said universities need to offer support services to help international students to adjust to a new cultural environment.

“Lastly, brain drain is a potential risk,” he said. “Internationalisation may lead to talented students and faculty leaving their home countries, potentially weakening the local higher education system and economy. This loss of talent can be detrimental to the development and progress of the countries they leave behind,” he explained.

Slow pace of change

Professor Abdellah Benahnia, an academic affairs and business development manager of the 3B Golden Gate E-learning platform in Morocco and author of a chapter on internationaliation in Morocco in the The Bloomsbury Handbook of the Internationalisation of Higher Education in the Global South, agreed that there were indeed challenges to internationalisation in the Arab and North African region.

He told University World News that Yousef’s study highlighted that fact that higher education internationalisation was a phenomenon that is “trying to reach every country across the globe” including Arab countries.

“Due to several socio-cultural constraints, as well as the economic situation in some of the Arab countries, the study indicated that internationalisation of higher education is still [going at] a slow pace,” said Benahnia.

“In some other Arab countries, conservative political power seems to be still in favour of local educational products and tries to push foreign educational products and ideologies away,” he added.

However, he said that there were nonetheless ways to improve higher education internationalisation in the Arab world.

“Besides enhancing partnerships between local higher education institutions and global universities, increasing scholarships for international students, and promoting English-taught programmes, higher education internationalisation could be improved by establishing research collaborations and facilitating student and faculty exchanges,” Benahnia said.

“Moreover, leveraging digital platforms for virtual exchanges and joint online courses can expand international reach.

“However, the integration of foreign or international educational collaborations and products should not be at the expense of the local cultural and linguistic heritage of the Arab countries,” Benahnia said.

“Preserving the local values and cultural heritage as well as the mother tongue of those Arab countries as well as enhancing security and political stability will most probably make the region more attractive to international students and faculty and perhaps encourage more collaborations,” Benahnia indicated.

“Such initiatives can also play a vital role in creating a globally connected academic environment,” Benahnia concluded.

Institutional support and finance

According to Professor Hamed Ead, who is based in the Faculty of Science at Cairo University, told University World News it was necessary to increase financing and institutional support for internationalisation projects in universities in the Arab States.

“Other actions for improving higher education internationalisation include improving language skills, expediting paperwork and visa procedures, and offering specialised instruction in digital fluency and cultural competency,” Ead said.

The author of a 2020 study on globalisation in Egyptian higher education, Ead said challenges to internationalization also included restrictive immigration laws; the lack of a systematic, institution-wide strategy and restricted institutional funds.

He said governments could address some of these challenges by looking for charitable backing for internationalisation programmes as well as specialised government funding streams.

“In an interconnected world, a systematic, institution-wide approach to internationalisation is also essential since it may improve the effect of research and graduate employability,” Ead said, adding that a coordinated effort was needed to fully achieve the promise of higher education internationalisation in the Arab world.

Internationalisation as a means to an end

Nigel Healey, professor of international higher education and vice-president for global and community engagement at the University of Limerick in Ireland, told University World News it was important for Arab universities to see internationalisation as a means to an end, rather than as an end in itself.

“When internationalisation is viewed as a means of enhancing learning and teaching, by instilling intercultural competences and awareness and preparing more employable global citizens, and increasing the societal impact of research through collaborating with global researchers, internationalisation becomes central to achieving the university’s core missions, rather than an optional extra,” Healey said.

“The Arab world does not universally teach and research in English, which has facilitated internationalisation in the Anglophone countries like Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, nor does it enjoy the collective funding and programme infrastructure of Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe that have driven internationalisation in the European Union.

“However, the Arab world benefits from a much younger population, in terms of the percentage of the population under the age of 30 years than Europe and North America, universities that are rising strongly in global rankings, multicultural and outward-looking young people, and governments willing to invest strategically in human capital development,” Healey said.

“These are important assets at a time when many Western countries are struggling with economic stagnation, ageing populations and growing nationalism and isolationism,” he explained.