Internationalization of Higher Education: Insights into Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion; Sustainable Development; and International Partnerships
Follow-up qualitative study on the 6th IAU Global Survey on the Internationalization of Higher Education
The International Association of Universities (IAU) has conducted the Global Survey on the Internationalization of Higher Education at regular intervals since 2003 to track developments in practice and to support higher education institutions (HEIs) in ensuring that internationalization efforts enhance educational quality, inclusion, equity, and social responsibility. A recurring theme has been the diversity of institutional practices across countries, sectors, and regions. The 6th Global Survey, published in 2024, continued to document marked cross-national diversity in priorities and practices. This follow-up report to the 6th IAU Global Survey presents findings from a qualitative study on emerging priorities in internationalization, including how internationalization is linked to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and sustainable development (SD). It also considers how approaches to international partnerships are changing. Representatives from 11 higher education institutions (HEIs) representing different world regions were interviewed to understand how the local contexts, institutional goals, and regional dynamics shape HEIs’ internationalization practices related to these emerging issues.This report was prepared by Marianthi Kontelli, Ph.D. Candidate at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (University of Toronto) & former Research Intern at the International Association of Universities; Giorgio Marinoni, Manager of Higher Education and Internationalization at the International Association of Universities; and Elizabeth Buckner, Associate Professor of Higher Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (University of Toronto) in the framework of “The Future of Internationalization Partnership” project, supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Project Number 890200018)
