Search

This paper investigates the motivations and satisfaction levels of international students studying in China, using a marketing approach. Through a literature review, it examines education service quality, marketing tools, and the importance of international students. The main goal is to identify the main incentives for students coming to China and to assess the gaps between their expectations and satisfaction with various aspects of the marketing mix during their studies. To achieve this goal, a quantitative survey was conducted, which reveals that the most valued incentives are related to the campus environment, professional teachers, student life, and cultural diversity. In terms of student satisfaction, the results highlight that the least satisfactory factors include aspects related to the promotion of international studies and the partnerships between universities. These areas require more attention from Chinese university management for future improvement. The paper concludes with theoretical implications and managerial recommendations for universities, national policymakers, and Chinese authorities in the context of China's national education development strategy, entitled "Opinions on Accelerating and Expanding the Opening Up of Education to the World in the New Era". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internationalization has become an indispensable part of universities worldwide. Since the 1990s, various research has been conducted with those often seen as the main stakeholders of universities, namely administrators, academics, and students. However, the leading implementors of internationalization and especially mobility programs, international office professionals (IPs), are rarely considered by research. In this study, qualitative research was conducted through 36 semi-structured interviews with IPs in Poland and Turkey. The results revealed that IPs have several professional and institutional challenges. While the professional challenges include diversified responsibilities, incoming students' problems, and communication difficulties with the young generation; institutional challenges are mainly associated with administrative issues like lack of participation in decision-making, temporarily appointed leaders, and lack of academic support. Additionally, in this study, IPs were referred to as street-level bureaucrats as the main contact with the beneficiaries of internationalization. The research revealed that IPs use a high level of discretion in practice. This paper presents examples of how to structure internationalization policies so that the IPs use their power of discretion in a positive way, contributing to policy implementation. Therefore, this paper aims to provide a roadmap for the practical implementation of internationalization and mobility programs in universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to examine the multilingual requirements and opportunities arising in 21stcentury higher education, in general, and in the case of Romania. After providing a brief description of key concepts and trends in the internationalization of higher education both at the international and national level, the paper focuses on a selection of Romanian universities to exemplify their efforts in this respect, by referring to the internationalization aspects they target, the multilingual opportunities they offer for students, as well as their efforts regarding the internationalization of research undertaken by their academic communities. Throughout the paper, we refer to the need for proficiency in foreign languages, which underpins all and any efforts towards enhancing internationalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on data from the "2014 Chinese University Faculty Survey," this article analyzes the distribution characteristics and manifestations of internationalization from returnee faculty to Chinese colleges as well as their impacts on the internationalization of higher education in the three dimensions of scientific research output, teaching content and methods, and international exchanges. Compared to local teachers, returnee faculty members adjust their research output strategies to reach a higher level of internationalization. They favor publishing papers in international journals and publish fewer domestic papers and make fewer domestic patent applications. They focus on international perspectives and content in their course teaching content and methods. In terms of international exchanges, they participate in international academic conferences and travel abroad more often for advanced studies. Their experiences studying overseas accumulate their comparative advantage in the internationalization of the academic profession. Higher education institutions should make them play larger roles in promoting the internationalization of scientific research and teaching as well as international academic exchanges to improve the level of internationalization of Chinese higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International student exchange is integral to internationalization at higher education institutions and global human resource development in Japan. However, border closures and restrictions on physical mobility since 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic forced universities to adopt virtual mobility models to deliver international exchange programs. This study explores students’ experiences of taking virtual exchange programs and their pedagogical implications for future virtual exchange programs. In this paper, we present one case of virtual student mobility implemented at one national university in Japan. Analysis of multiple data sets, including student surveys (n=789), reflection papers (n=420), and interviews with a program administrator and a faculty member, revealed that this type of virtual student mobility program has strong merits in promoting internationalization activities. Students were satisfied with the diverse interdisciplinary academic content, flexibility in taking the course, and opportunity to engage with the host university faculty members and international students. Many have expressed their interest in studying at the host university in person. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has always been a power struggle regarding control over the administration of the university. In the Enlightenment era, the contenders were the State and the Church. However, as the role of the Church in modern educational institutes declined, the state clamoured for greater control (Delanty, 2001b ; Rüegg, 1992). In the 1990s, academic autonomy was under the purview of the university. This in turn gave impetus to greater mobility of students across borders and to the larger process of Internationalization of Higher Education (IHE). However, in the post-democratic era, the autonomy of universities was severely restricted and research and curriculum were tainted with a protectionist attitude (Altbach and De Wit, 2018 ; Jenkins et al., 2018). Emerging conflicts between the state and the university highlight the urgent need to understand and assess state-university relations in the new political climate. Under these circumstances, the process of IHE has borne the brunt and in the last decade, we have seen a decrease in international outbound student mobility, an increase in the cancellation of offshore campuses and other cross-border education activities. While the process of IHE is still maintained, the original aim of this process, to tackle global issues with a local perspective while providing an inter-cultural university education is at risk. This paper examines the changing dynamics of state-university relations and their implications on the process of IHE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Language & Intercultural Communication is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Internationalisation of higher education has diverging implications for climate change, on the one hand entailing greenhouse gas emissions through mobility, but also contributing to climate action through international collaboration. These apparent contradictions and resulting trade-offs present significant challenges to universities. This paper puts forward a framework for understanding the combination of impacts, the interactions between them and implications for the climate crisis. It distinguishes between three dimensions of internationalisation: actors (movements of students and staff), practices (integration of the international into curriculum and research) and influence (the global reach of the various impacts of the university). Internationalisation in these three dimensions can have positive or negative implications for climate action and sustainability, through direct impacts (greenhouse gas emissions) and indirect ones (changes in individuals, societal structures, knowledge and technologies). Implications are drawn out for the actions and strategies of universities, as well as for the global system of higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, government policies that target the rapid internationalization of Japanese higher education have provided new career opportunities especially for scholars with experience of studying and teaching abroad. This autoethnographic paper draws on such "migrant" faculty's engagement in formal curriculum development to illustrate their active negotiations within the micro-level processes of internationalization of a Japanese University. More specifically, the analysis focuses first on the enactment of agencies to negotiate diverse understandings of "culture" and "discipline" in the process of building a "Japanese Studies" curriculum. The paper then draws on those negotiations to show how those agencies were transformative; namely how they impacted on and challenged the framing and the practice of the official framework of "Japanese Studies" at University X. This study aims, therefore, to shed light on the ways individual migrant faculty members of diverse backgrounds, may constructively contribute to internationalization processes of higher education when such faculty's active interactions are carefully looked at and sought for, beyond established and often imagined cultural, disciplinary, and institutional boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internationalization of higher education has become a key policy within the global higher education sector. Yet a large body of literature suggests that simply having a diverse group of students does not guarantee meaningful intercultural engagement. This paper presents a qualitative study intended to gain a richer understanding of Hong Kong's higher education environment. In-depth interview data were collected from students of different cultural backgrounds and from academic, non-academic, and managerial staff at three Hong Kong universities. The data collection period covered local political turmoil in Hong Kong as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicate that, due to language barriers and potentially opposing political ideologies, all students faced challenges engaging with others who were culturally different from themselves. These findings can facilitate the development of an adaptable cross-institutional framework for meaningful intercultural learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the validation of the internationalization imperative in higher education institutions (HEIs) of the Nordic countries. I focus on both the goals and motives behind activities supporting internationalization, but also on the manner of their habitualization and institutionalization in the practice of academic administration and organizational management. The issue of legitimization of institutional changes is addressed by means of the rationalized myths that create durable dispositions for specific practices, changes in procedures and attitudes in a given socio-political setting. I draw on empirical examples that include practical solutions and strategies developed under the conditions of semiperipheral positionality of the Nordic states. This perspective makes their internationalization policies an interesting frame of reference for other countries and the paper concludes by pointing to the latest trends that can serve either as an inspiration or a warning for other states. The Nordic countries offer an example of how institutionalizing the 'strategic gains' narrative from globalization may lead to a recalibration of an earlier knowledge regime along with attempts to change centre-periphery relations, including the reframing of priorities and rationalities of different stakeholders in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses how the internationalization of higher education has brought about its impact in terms of spreading standardized academic programs, scientific research, innovation, culture exchange, and strengthening ties between involved higher education institutions and countries to resolve mutual benefit challenges. Among these challenges, the brain drain paradox remains an annoying problem for developing countries. The paper sheds light on these related issues through witnessed education system reform, research efforts exchange, and cooperation between collaborating countries in the MENA region to diminish the impact of the brain drain paradox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on a small-scale qualitative study with international students enrolled in various English- and Chinese-medium instruction programs in Chinese universities. It seeks to explore these students' educational experiences and their perceptions of China and China's higher education. Our study provides ample evidence about the irrelevance of Chinese language in the current policies and practices of Chinese universities regarding internationalization and international students. It also counters earlier studies that show how deeply rooted the discourses of native speaker and native-speaking varieties of English are in English-medium-instruction programs around the world. All in all, the paper makes theoretical and empirical contributions to the emerging literature on international students' education and academic experiences in China. Through accounts obtained from international students of varied backgrounds, the paper also sheds light on nuances of internationalization, medium of instruction, and academic mobilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the critiques generated in critical internationalization studies in response to the neoliberal and neocolonial orientation of internationalization of higher education, the direction of internationalization appears to be unchanged. This paper takes up the challenge of imagining internationalization otherwise by drawing from the field of post-development (PD) studies, which, it is argued, has parallels to the realities and debates on internationalization. An overview of the debates in PD and why they offer important ideas for critical internationalization studies will be followed by a discussion of how key analyses and arguments in PD can be applied to internationalization. This argument leads to the question of whether it is time to recognize an emerging post-internationalization movement, acknowledging that internationalization as we know it is in decline. The paper concludes with an exploration of a new commons in internationalization, refocusing on educational principles and values, while recognizing the complexities and contradictions inherent in seeking international education that is "in between, with and from multiple worlds". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explored students' experiences in an international virtual student mobility (VSM) program at a Japanese national university implemented in collaboration with partner universities in the Asia Pacific region and Europe. Through students' narratives, the study discerned how students perceive "mobility" and the concept of "international students" after participating in a virtual student mobility program. Findings revealed a tension between students' understanding of "mobility," official narratives, and students' actual experiences. While VSM programs facilitate communication and knowledge exchange across borders and develop cross-cultural communications, prevailing binary definitions in student mobility, such as "inbound" vs. "outbound," "domestic" vs. "international," or "study abroad" vs. "internationalization at home," limit VSM potential to be fully realized. This misalignment of the traditional understanding of student mobility that emphasizes place and borders challenges the official narrative of student mobility and urges educators to re-align and re-frame how we understand "international students." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Italy, urban and regional planning education is a comparative newcomer to higher education, just as planners are among built environment professionals. Through an original collection of data, this paper investigates the outcomes of 20 years of planning education and practice, paying attention to the (mis)matches between the two and to the emerging internationalization of both. How many planning graduates are there? How are they trained? What do they do? What is their professional status? Findings confirm a situation of lights and shadows, the development of a distinctive professional identity remaining imperative to ensure future relevancy for the Italian planner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of international students studying for a degree program in China was approaching a quarter of a million in 2017, roughly ten times that in 2003. China, a developing country, has become one of the biggest destinations for international student mobility (ISM). Thus, how it has managed to achieve this within only one and a half decades, what it plans to do with such a success, and what that means for the world remain open for interpretation. This increase is an economical grow which demonstrates the country's success in governance and generosity in international aid, while it is also a result of an internationalization policy of higher education which is viewed by central government as an arena for exercising soft power in world politics. It is difficult when trying to reach a persuasive conclusion without a comprehensive review of what happened in this period via a thorough examination of ISM data in a context of rapid policy change. This paper consists of four sections to identify the key driver(s) behind this sharp rise of student numbers from overseas. The first section is an introduction with a brief review of both theoretical and empirical aspects, followed by a short discussion on methodology. The second section is a review of key policy documents impacting on the development of ISM in modern China. The third section provides a general picture of ISM policy in China by analyzing official data. The final section reflects on the findings of the present study and concludes the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many Studies have been conducted on the internationalisation of higher education. Yet little is known about institutional plans for internationalisation on an operational level. This paper was written to provide some insight into the current barriers to the implementation of internationalisation plans. The authors present a case study of internationalisation plan underway in a Chinese top research university. An in-depth critical analysis of the case leads to the conclusion that the diversified understanding of the goals, meaning, strategies of internationalisation among different participants within the university, especially between faculty and administrative staffs involved in the initiation of the plan, caused deviation from their international practice and further hindered the implementation of the plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper outlines the important role of cross-cultural competence in foreign language training and its role in the process of internationalization of higher education in the countries of Asian region. As foreign language proficiency remained a distinctive feature of social class, foreign language communication skills acquired special importance with increasing pace of internationalization of higher education. Under globalization foreign language proficiency has become one of the main requirements for academic mobility. Special attention is paid to English as the language of cross-cultural communication and necessary component of internationalization. As English is the language for education in universities all over the world, scholars and scientists consider that encouraging the use of English in teaching makes it easier for non-English speaking specialists to fulfill their study abroad. The experience of Asian countries is of great value to scientists as these countries are interested in increasing the number of foreign students in Asian educational establishments as well as studying Asian students abroad. China is put in the center of the authors’ attention as it has acquired the status of a main exporter of higher education due to Chinese students’ interest in oversea courses. The analysis of peculiarities of foreign language training in different countries has been conducted in the article. In non-English-speaking countries English is taught as an additional language or is used as a medium of instruction in education to make non-English speakers’ participation in the process of internationalization possible. The authors have analyzed the main problems and difficulties in foreign language training, stresses the importance of cross-cultural competence for brining up tolerance for representatives from different cultures and awareness of cultural differences between nations as main condition for effective communication. There are some difficulties in students’ attempt to develop adequate English proficiency to learn other subjects’ content through English. On the other hand, cross-cultural communication skills enhance efficiency of teaching as a teacher should be aware of his students’ culture and some traditions. The paper highlights the fact that one of the important factors, influencing foreign language training, is understanding not only linguistic, grammar, phonological differences such as differences in the structure of native and target languages, but cultural values and behavior patterns of verbal and nonverbal communication according to national cultures as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student attainment of capabilities associated with global citizenship remains a priority for higher education institutions. We report on a scoping review of empirical studies to explore how global citizenship is understood and enacted in higher education. The 29 included studies span the arts, psychology and social sciences, professional degrees, purpose-designed global citizenship courses, and community development, service, and educational travel programs. Notwithstanding considerable diversity in study aims, methodology, and how global citizenship was described, we were able to discern an overarching framework to describe the theoretical contributions to global citizenship education. Our findings contribute to building conceptual clarity both for educators charged with developing curricula and for higher education researchers seeking to explore and evaluate the outcomes of global citizenship education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Forum Pedagogiczne / Pedagogical Forum is the property of Uniwersytet Kardynala Stefana Wyszynskiego w Warszawie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper examines language ideologies – sets of normative beliefs about language and its speakers – in a Finnish university student union’s Facebook communication practices. Prior research has discussed how today’s Nordic universities appear to be caught in an ideological tension between the preservation of ethnolinguistic nationalism and the pursuit of internationalization through the use of English. We are interested in the case of university student unions in the changing landscape of communication practices today. We analyzed the student union’s Facebook posts using critical discursive psychology. Our analysis identifies the university’s Finnish–English bilingualism as discursively affording an ambiguous kind of inclusion to students as Finnish-speaking/local and English-speaking/international students, and also social media communication as possibly contributing to the inclusion of all students as social media users. We argue that multimodal affordances of social media may act as an alternative discursive resource for inclusive intergroup relations among students in a student organization on an international campus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Russia is the sixth most attractive host country for international students, and this has translated into increased publications on international students in Russia. These studies have focused on the issues of Russian higher education internationalization, foreign student mobility, and acculturation challenges of international students. This paper seeks to highlight the knowledge base of international student research in Russia. Specifically, this paper represents a bibliometric review of indexed Scopus data to establish the seminal authors and current foci of research on international students in Russia. The findings indicate a present exponential growth in publications from 2015 in contrast to the slow start from 1999. The findings also demonstrate that the leading authors, with 59% of the sampled Scopus indexed articles, are affiliated with government-sponsored higher education institutions. The findings also established the most cited sources in the related literature and the current themes of research on international students in Russia. The implication of the research and limitations of the study were discussed. The directives for future research were proffered.

International student education in China has been continuously changing in response to the rapid social transition since the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949. Adopting a historical perspective, this scholarly paper begins with an analysis of characteristics of international student education in China in terms of rationales, role of government, and international students. Several challenges are then identified and this paper concludes with observations on future trends of international student education development, with a special focus on the implications of “the Belt and Road”. This paper contributes to a better understanding of China’s role as an emerging host nation of international students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the way in which higher education participation is democratized in the entrepreneurial city of Hong Kong by the policy innovation that encompasses internationalization. There is a dearth of empirical studies about transnational education in Hong Kong, except for a few which examine students’ perceptions of transnational education from a user perspective, situated in marketized conditions (Leung and Waters, 2013; Waters and Leung, 2013a, b). The minimal volume of existing research has ignored the innovative aspects of democratizing higher learning by internationalization, namely, the operation of international degrees by overseas universities on offshore campuses. This policy innovation by transnational institutions is significant in an era of the globalization of higher education, as access to higher education cannot be otherwise realized given the local education policies.Design/methodology/approach Employing documentary research, this paper presents and assesses the growth of community college international education at The University of Hong Kong and its unique facets, juxtaposing it with the marketized context of East Asian higher education. It engages in specific reviews surrounding the operational mode and academic collaborations of the international educational programs and practices at the Hong Kong University’s School of Professional and Continuing Education.Findings This documentary research finds that the internationalized academic profession of partner universities enables curriculum design, pedagogy, teaching ideas and assessment methods to be informed by a diversity of international academic cultures and indigenous knowledge. Through this policy innovation, international education is institutionalized in such a way that it takes Hong Kong students beyond the community college context, which is relatively localized. It also illuminates the way in which the “ideoscape” of American community colleges and international partnerships with Australian and British universities have been manifested in the Hong Kong education hub for transnational student flows and intellectual exchanges across the Asian region.Originality/value This paper contributes to the academic literature of higher education studies, particularly in the areas of massification and democratization, as well as their connection with internationalization and policy innovation. It also delineates various forces that are propelling the development of higher education’s internationalization and massification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the interaction between civil society organizations in Japan and incoming international students to illustrate how the nonprofit sector can be conducive to social capital generation in diverse groups in the short-term. Based on interviews, participant observation and document analysis, this study examines motivations of nonprofit staff and volunteers to get involved with international students and connects them to students' expectations and needs. The paper suggests ways of improving engagement between Japanese civil society organizations and international students to benefit all the stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trends in higher education have changed tremendously over the past decade. Knowledge is now an asset that moves between countries. The profound effort generates the globalization of universities, students and niche research. Hence international mobility program are gaining popularity as it gives significant outcomes for its students who had experienced mobility exchange. It is apparent that mobility had prepared the students to contribute to the global workforce, establish global networks and join the brain global circulation. Mobility exchange is seen to be the driving force for the students who are not able to study abroad to obtain an international degree. It is also seen to be giving opportunities to students to become "international" or global by studying abroad for a semester, which is more affordable for most students. Realizing the importance of mobility exchange, ASEAN have now taken the initiatives to encourage mobility among students. The students are going to exchange program either to ASEAN countries or elsewhere across the globe with the mission to become a global citizen with a global mindset. In promoting internationalization across ASEAN, SEAMEO-RIHED via its Asian International Mobility for Students (AIMS) program has laid out its pathway for students to go for mobility exchange. The paper will discuss the journey of AIMS and how its platform has promoted the multicultural diversity and inclusivity across ASEAN and support the One ASEAN Community establishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities all over the world have been greatly transformed by the modern process of internationalization of higher education. However beneficial this phenomenon may be for both students and institutions, much harm could be done if the purposes of education are taken for granted, especially when aiming at a democratic education. Thus, in light of John Dewey's philosophy of education, one of the most renowned scholars in the area, this paper offers a critique to Canadian higher education based on a qualitative research conducted with ten professors of a mid-sized Canadian university, who reflected upon their graduate international students and internationalization. Findings evoke not only the pertinence of Dewey's ideas to the 21st century, but, above all, an appeal for philosophy of education in the pursuit of a meaningful and democratic internationalization process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper adds an organizational dimension to the body of literature on international student mobility. Existing studies examine push/pull factors and student motivations, neglecting that students' motivations and demands are not necessarily spontaneous, but can be shaped by external forces. Drawing on interview, archival and observation data collected on four leading cram schools that prepare students for the TOEFL/GRE, IELTS and SAT in China, I argue that cram schools not only coach students on test preparation and "how to study abroad," but they also adopt organizational framing to instill in students "why to study abroad." Leading cram schools have played an integral role in promoting a certain organizational framing as the dominant approach of a niche market in a given era. During the 1990s, when the TOEFL/GRE niche market was rapidly expanding, the market leader in this niche promoted self-help and nationalism as dominant discourses. Self-help discourse frames overseas study and test preparation not as means, but as the ends of students' lives: going beyond one's limit and making one's life complete. Nationalist discourse depicts overseas study as a detour to build a stronger China after learning from the West. After 2000, however, new organizational framing picked up momentum in the new niche markets of IELTS and SAT. Targeting urban middle-class consumers, market leaders in these new niches increasingly framed studying abroad as a springboard for immigration, a channel for becoming global elites and an opportunity for status improvement for the entire family. My article bridges literature on transnational higher education with studies on supplementary education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by the alternative understanding that history is in fact a particular (re)interpretation of the past and university history (the history of a university) is an effort at public relations, this paper examines how Chinese universities construct values about themselves in their texts of history for self-advertising in the context of the internationalization of higher education. Supported by a corpus and anchored in the Appraisal model, the analysis finds that, overall, the Chinese universities take advantage of the apparent objectivity of history for their subjective purpose of commodifying marketable qualities: under the values of Normality and Capacity, these respects of importance, excellence, and strength are foregrounded with the market in view. Predominantly realized in an overall tone of assertiveness and authority derived from the frequent manipulation of single and contracting voices, these values become, as it were, truths that the universities persuade the reader into accepting, and meanwhile they, especially those invoked by government-related features, suggest an ideology of power dependence that the universities show off in self-advertising. This study of university history seems to render the so-called distinction between promotional and less promotional public genres irrelevant in the neoliberal, consumerist culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current internationalization trends in higher education and educational language policies impel universities to plan their provision of foreign languages. Often, universities are developing language policies, redesigning their foreign language programs and seeking to foster bilingual or multilingual strategies within graduate and undergraduate programs in order to respond to these trends and to students’ new needs for a solid education in an increasingly interconnected world. Drawing on Johnson’s heuristics of language policy analysis [Johnson, D. C. (2009). Ethnography of language policy.Language Policy, 8, 139–159], this paper will share how explicit as well as implicit policy is being created by different agents at the largest state-funded higher education institution in the southwestern region of Colombia. The paper will then locate the initiatives for the teaching and learning of English and other foreign languages within the discourses that circulate around English aslingua franca,academicaandeconomica.It will contend that although the goals for foreign language learning as a requisite for the internationalization of the University are shared by different policy agents, the ways to approach these goals represent different and often conflicting views on micro policy and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Internationalization has become an indispensable part of universities worldwide. Since the 1990s, various research has been conducted with those often seen as the main stakeholders of universities, namely administrators, academics, and students. However, the leading implementors of internationalization and especially mobility programs, international office professionals (IPs), are rarely considered by research. In this study, qualitative research was conducted through 36 semi-structured interviews with IPs in Poland and Turkey. The results revealed that IPs have several professional and institutional challenges. While the professional challenges include diversified responsibilities, incoming students’ problems, and communication difficulties with the young generation; institutional challenges are mainly associated with administrative issues like lack of participation in decision-making, temporarily appointed leaders, and lack of academic support. Additionally, in this study, IPs were referred to as street-level bureaucrats as the main contact with the beneficiaries of internationalization. The research revealed that IPs use a high level of discretion in practice. This paper presents examples of how to structure internationalization policies so that the IPs use their power of discretion in a positive way, contributing to policy implementation. Therefore, this paper aims to provide a roadmap for the practical implementation of internationalization and mobility programs in universities.

Copyright of Eccos - Revista Científica is the property of Eccos - Revista Científica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)