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

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

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Authors

Mónica Lourenço

Ana Isabel Andrade



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 Mar 28, 2024
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
Publisher URL https://revistas.ulusofona.pt/index.php/rleducacao/article/view/7132

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