Representations of internationalisation at a Portuguese Higher Education Institution: From institutional discourse to stakeholders’ voices

Lourenço, Mónica; Andrade, Ana Isabel; Byram, Michael

Abstract

Internationalisation has become a major concern of higher education institutions around the world, featuring as a goal in their mission statements and agendas. Yet, the ways it is perceived and addressed vary greatly. In some cases, internationalisation is viewed as a service to export, whilst in other cases the focus falls on the acquisition and development of graduates’ global and intercultural competences. This paper reports on a study that aimed to understand how internationalisation is perceived at a Portuguese Higher Education Institution. To achieve this goal institutional policy documents were collected, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of governing and coordinating bodies, as well as with academic and non-academic staff. Results from thematic analysis suggest that internationalisation is seen as a priority at the highest strategic level, being associated with a set of activities (student mobility, international research projects, and English-medium instruction) and with a set of desired outcomes (increased revenues and institutional visibility). Moreover, stakeholders consider internationalisation a valuable asset for the development of students’ skills, expressing positive attitudes towards such initiatives as “internationalisation at home”. Based on these findings, recommendations for a more comprehensive and sustainable internationalisation approach applicable to other contexts are put forward.

Citation

Lourenço, M., Andrade, A. I., & Byram, M. (2020). Representations of internationalisation at a Portuguese Higher Education Institution: From institutional discourse to stakeholders’ voices. Revista lusófona de educação (Em linha), 47(47), 53-68. https://doi.org/10.24140/issn.1645-7250.rle47.04

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Jun 23, 2020
• Publication Date: 2020
• Deposit Date: Jul 16, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 16, 2020
• Journal: Revista Lusófona de Educação
• Print ISSN: 1645-7250
• Electronic ISSN: 1646-401X
• Publisher: Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 47
• Issue: 47
• Pages: 53-68
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.24140/issn.1645-7250.rle47.04
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1266370
• Publisher URL: https://revistas.ulusofona.pt/index.php/rleducacao/article/view/7132