Unintended consequences of internationalization: Advancing equity through a new lens

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

Purpose
The CIES 2023 conference theme examines ways to Improve Education for a More Equitable World. This requires new ways of looking at internationalization within new frames. The focus of this panel is to elaborate on an overlooked part of internationalization, the Unintended Consequences of Internationalization (UCI) and implications in Costa Rica, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, South Africa, and United Arab Emeritus.
Internationalization of higher education goals are constantly evolving. Research on UCI, while referred to as something that exists (Knight, 2009), is limited which can result in missteps in evaluation, underestimation of outcomes, and inaccurate projection of goals and outcomes. Authors (2023) offer an expanded definition of UCI: “what occurs when a single or set of actions (theoretical or practical) influence new perceptions, trajectories of action, or byproducts in unexpected ways” (p. 1). The panel presenters explain UCI in a binary construct, as a positive (e.g., being transformative) or as negative (e.g., fostering marginalization, systemic inequities, or shifting rationales from a socio-cultural to a neo-liberal focus (Brandenburg et al., 2019; de Wit, 2020; Stein, 2019; Van Gaalen, 2020). The presenters also provide examples in a non-binary construct, where UCI is both negative and positive depending on context. For example, unintended actions can reduce marginalization in one group while accentuating it in another. Theoretically, UCI frames goals, vision, and processes, while practically, it is the outcome of policies and products. UCI brings in new ways to look at context without presupposing outcomes (Lucia & Matteis, 2021). Each presenter on this panel provides a different context of UCI in their country case-study.
This panel explores the range of UCI in Costa Rica, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Nigeria, South Africa, and United Arab Emeritus. Each panelists uses their country case study to highlight 1) examples of UCI found in the binary construct; 2) examples of UCI found in the non-binary construct; and 3) implications of UCI in the internationalization process.
Theoretical Constructs
This two-part panel uses the UCI Framework (Authors, 2023) to compare how UCI impacts internationalization efforts at policy, scholarly, and practitioner levels. Two constructs inform the UCI Framework. First, is the concept of shifting internationalization discourses, including shifts in definitions of concepts (Leask & de Gayardon, 2021), shifts in rationales (de Wit & Altbach, 2021), shifts in global imaginaries (Buckner & Stein, 2019), and shifts resulting from UCI (Author, 2023). Second, is critical internationalization that challenges traditional rationales for being grounded in Western neo-colonial foundations (Buckner & Stein, 2020) that perpetuate inequality (Suspitsyna & Shalka, 2019) and that deny local imaginaries that exist in each country (Yang, 2021). UCI can innovate and which can disrupt cycles of disadvantage and marginalization.
Methodology
Each panelist presents unrelated and independent case studies that use multiple data collection approaches to build a purposeful design that targets a known population (Creswell, 2022). The methods used by the presenters include discourse analysis of literature, historical documents, and policy analysis, ministries website review, and survey. The discussant will use comparative research techniques to analyze the case studies to show similarities and differences across geographies, and to counter existing stereotypes about those countries and their internationalization process. Thus, comparisons about UCI are appropriate in bringing in fresh insights (Arnove & Torres, 2020).
Comparative Themes
Panelists report on historical, political, socio-economic, and geographic contexts of internationalization of higher education in their country, detail UCI in a binary and/or non-binary construct, and share the importance of the UCI for comparative and international higher education.
Historical, Political, Socio-economic, and Geographic context of IHE in their country
Several case studies show that internationalization of higher education has a long history which dates back a half-century or longer. Morocco national policies ground programmatic efforts in the university, such as English as Lingua Franca and in-coming visiting faculty programs. In Nigeria, internationalization of higher education is not entirely new because Nigerian education is patterned after the designs of the British system. South Africa shows how contextual contours contort, abuse, and shape internationalization policies and UCI. Comparatively, there are no geographic patterns in the types of UCI or their outcomes throughout all country case studies
UCI: Binary and/or Non-Binary construct
Each panelist shares negative and positive UCI of the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, in Kuwait, Morocco, and United Arab Emeritus, technology unexpectedly takes a central role in restructuring academic departments and expanding use of online learning. In Costa Rica and Nigeria, UCI enhance virtual student services. In South Africa, UCI of virtual collaborations impacts faculty research productivity. In a non-binary construct, panelist show UCI as positive, such as increasing status through collaborations and as negative when dependency relationship form. Comparatively, the same UCI can occur worldwide, yet, some UCI, such as brain drain and regional relationships, are primarily situated in the Global South.
Importance of the UCI for Comparative and International Higher Education
The panelists share how UCI present opportunities for innovation, some of which disrupt cycles of disadvantage and marginalization. Others show how UCI leads to actions that are the opposite of intent and is often a surprise when it occurs. Common to all presenters is that UCI spirals or moves existing strategies into new directions, such as creating regional hubs that re-defines the focus of internationalization and opens opportunities for neighboring students.
Scholarly Significance to the Field of Higher Education
A discussion of UCI is important because it is at the foundation of every intent, goal, and outcome. As related to the conference theme, a focus on unintended consequences provides unique ways of looking at internationalization within new frames. Traditionally, internationalization of higher education begins with intent and ends with outcomes. In the context of this panel, there is action past outcomes found in UCI which has implications for comparative and international higher education. The overarching intent of the panel is to draw attention to UCI that can critically frame new ways of looking at intent, outcomes, and change.

Sub Unit

• Higher Education SIG

Chair

• Rosalind Latiner Raby, Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education (JCIHE)

Individual Presentations

• Unintended consequences of internationalizations in a diversified public and private sector in Costa Rica - Alejandra Barahona, Universidad Veritas

• Unintended positive and negative consequences of internationalization of higher education in Nigeria - Ayodeji Arogundade, Lewis-Clark State College