Digital Exclusion or Digital Empowerment? The Impact of IaH on Global South Doctoral Students

• In Event: Navigating global, national and local education policies and practices

Proposal

The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the digital transformation of higher education, forcing institutions worldwide to adapt to new delivery modes. This shift had been particularly significant for international students, who traditionally moved to the Global North to pursue graduate studies. However, the pandemic led to the rise of “Internationalization at Home” (IaH), where students engaged in international education from their home countries via digital platforms. This research critically analyzed the impact of post-COVID-19 digital transformation on doctoral students' learning experiences from the Global South, focusing on the structural challenges they faced and their implications for academic inclusivity and perseverance. The question guiding this study was: To what extent had the post-COVID-19 digital transformation influenced the learning experiences of doctoral international students from the Global South?
IaH had traditionally been understood as integrating international, intercultural, and global dimensions into the curriculum of home institutions. However, the pandemic redefined this concept, emphasizing digital engagement and remote learning. While previous studies highlighted IaH’s potential to foster intercultural competence and global citizenship, few addressed the specific challenges faced by students from the Global South who engaged with IaH remotely. The rapid digital transformation of higher education has brought both opportunities and challenges. On one hand, it democratized access to education, allowing students from diverse geographic locations to participate in global academic discourse.
On the other hand, it exacerbated existing inequalities (Darling-Hammond, 2010), particularly for students from low-resource settings who needed more reliable internet, digital devices, and online resources. Structural disparities in higher education were well-documented, particularly regarding access to resources, institutional support, and opportunities for academic engagement. These inequalities were often more pronounced for students from the Global South, who faced additional barriers related to race, gender, and socioeconomic status (Skrla et al., 2009).
The study adopted a qualitative research design, using self-reflexive narratives to explore the experiences of two doctoral students from the Global South who engaged in IaH. The research drew on the principles of critical theory to analyze the intersections of power, identity, and access in the context of internationalization and digital transformation. Data were collected through self-dialogue in journaling and reflection memos, maintained over five months. We conducted self-interviews using guided questions to explore specific aspects of our experiences, including access to resources, institutional support, and feelings of inclusion or exclusion. We also engaged in regularly shared dialogues, reflecting on our shared and divergent experiences and deepening our understanding of their challenges. The data analysis followed an interactive, recursive, and dynamic circular approach, as Merriam (1998) outlined. This approach allowed for continuous reflection and revision of the narratives as new insights emerged, focusing on identifying patterns and themes related to structural challenges, academic inclusivity, and the impact on perseverance.
The research was guided by a critical theoretical framework, emphasizing power, access, resilience, and agency concepts. Drawing on the work of Michel Foucault (1975), the study explored how power operated within HEIs to regulate access to resources, opportunities, and academic spaces. It considered how digital transformation had either reinforced or disrupted these power dynamics, particularly for students from the Global South. The study also explored resilience and agency, examining how the researchers navigated and responded to their challenges and how personal and collective agency played a role in overcoming obstacles and sustaining perseverance.
The findings revealed significant structural challenges that the doctoral students faced as part of their IaH experience. One of the primary obstacles was the digital divide (Altbach & de Wit, 2019), which manifested in limited access to reliable internet and up-to-date technological devices. These limitations hindered the students' ability to fully participate in online classes, access digital libraries, and engage in virtual academic communities. Additionally, the students needed more adequate resources or guidance to navigate the demands of remote learning. The disparities between higher education institutions in the Global North and South became apparent as students struggled with unequal access to educational tools and opportunities. The research also highlighted issues of academic inclusivity, particularly the feelings of marginalization and exclusion experienced by the students. The digital nature of IaH created a sense of distance, not just geographically but also culturally and socially. The students often felt disconnected from their peers and professors, exacerbated by the lack of culturally responsive teaching practices and limited opportunities for meaningful interaction. This sense of isolation led to feelings of academic inadequacy as the students grappled with the perception that they were not fully integrated into the educational community. The lack of inclusivity in remote learning environments reinforced existing power imbalances and further marginalized students from the Global South.
Despite these challenges, the findings also revealed the remarkable resilience and perseverance of the doctoral students. The mental and emotional toll of remote learning was significant, with the students frequently experiencing stress, loneliness, and frustration (Minutillo et al., 2020; Mori, 2000). However, they developed various strategies to cope with these difficulties, including self-motivation, seeking support from peers and mentors, and finding alternative ways to access resources. Their perseverance was driven by a solid commitment to their academic goals and a desire to overcome the barriers posed by IaH. The students’ ability to navigate these challenges demonstrated their agency and resilience, even in the face of structural inequalities.
The significance of this study lies in its focus on the experiences of doctoral students from the Global South who engaged in IaH during a period of rapid digital transformation. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the structural inequalities within HEIs, particularly concerning digital access and academic inclusivity. The study advocates for greater investment in digital infrastructure, particularly in HEIs that serve international students from low-resource settings. This includes high-speed internet, digital devices, and online educational resources. The research highlights the need for more robust institutional support for distant learners, including mental health services, academic advising, and opportunities for meaningful engagement with educational communities. It also emphasizes the crucial importance of culturally responsive pedagogical practices recognizing and valuing international students’ backgrounds and experiences.

Authors

• Alaa Adel Elsayed Abdelghaffar, Loyola University Chicago

• Lamiaa Eid, The University of Massachusetts Amherst