Internationalization of Global South Universities (GSU) and global challenges from the perspective of organizational ecology
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5585/2025.28096Keywords:
internationalization, universities, Global South, organizational ecology, global challengesAbstract
Purpose: This article explores the internationalization of universities in the Global South by analyzing those institutions' dependence on the standards of the Global North. The goal is to propose an internationalization model based on organizational ecology, which enables a balance between internationalization strategies and the strengthening of institutional capacities to promote sustainability and inclusion. Design/Methodology/Approach: A sequential mixed methods approach is employed, which combines a systematic literature review, social network analysis, and 35 interviews with experts from Ibero-American universities. This innovative methodological approach integrates qualitative and quantitative methods, which enriches the understanding of institutional interactions and the global challenges faced by universities in the Global South. Findings: The research proposes a six-step interconnected model for promoting equity and sustainability in the internationalization process of universities. This model encourages the formation of resilience networks and the adaptation to global and regional demands, focusing on developing local capacities and social inclusion. The results are organized into three categories: Emerging Global Engagement, Structural and Innovative Expansion, and Sustainable and Inclusive Convergence, which offers a new path to reduce academic dependence and strengthen institutional autonomy. Originality: The study presents unique and innovative theoretical and methodological contributions by systematizing internationalization into categories that emphasize the strengthening of autonomy and sustainability in universities in the Global South. The proposed model provides a practical basis for addressing structural inequalities, limited access to technology, and critical challenges for sustainable development, enabling these universities to provide active contributions in the international arena.
Downloads
References
Abhayawansa, S., Donovan, J., Le, V., Masli, E., & Topple, C. (2024). Beyond Borders: Evaluating the real impact of an Asia-based short-term study-abroad program for a business capstone unit. The International Journal of Management Education, 22(2), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2024.100965
Abbott, K. W., Green, J. F., & Keohane, R. O. (2016). Organizational ecology and institutional change in global governance. International Organization, 70(2), 247–277. https://2024.sci-hub.se/6195/4f319f3ca55050378323c8dc4dd13a8c/abbott2016.pdf
Abramo, G., & D’Angelo, C. A. (2023). The impact of Italian performance-based research funding systems on the intensity of international research collaboration. Research Evaluation, 32(1), 47-57. https://doi.org/10.1093/reseval/rvac026
Åkerblad, L., Seppänen-Järvelä, R., & Haapakoski, K. (2021). Integrative strategies in mixed methods research. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 15(2), 152-170. https://doi.org/10.1177/15586898209571
Alatas, S. F. (2000). Academic Dependency in the Social Sciences: Reflections on India and Malaysia. American Studies International, 38(2), 80-96. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41279771
Altbach, P. G., & Knight, J. (2007). The internationalization of higher education: Motivations and realities. Journal of Studies in International Education, 11(3-4), 290-305. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1028315307303542
Altbach, P. G., & Salmi, J. (2011). The Road to Academic Excellence: The Making of World-Class Research Universities. World Bank Publications. https://books.google.com.br/books?id=NA8zvn-zoMEC&printsec=copyright&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
Alvarez-Sández, D., Velázquez-Victorica, K., Mungaray-Moctezuma, A., & López-Guerrero, A. (2023). Administrative Processes Efficiency Measurement in Higher Education Institutions: A Scoping Review. Education Sciences, 13(9), 855. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13090855
Awad, I. M., & Salaimeh, M. K. (2023). Towards an entrepreneurial university model: evidence from the Palestine Polytechnic University. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 12(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-023-00280-5
Babones, S. (2022). International Student Revenue and International Rankings Success: A Case Study of Australian University Research Strategies. Youth and Globalization, 4(1), 56-81. 10.1163/25895745-bja10019
Bavelas, A. (1950) Communication patterns in task orientatedgroups. Journal of Acoustical Society of America, 22, 271–82. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.1906679
Beck, D., & Ferasso, M. (2023). Mixed-methods research in management: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of Management Research, 21(3), 289-303. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMPROC.2023.13622symposium
Beelen, J., & Jones, E. (2022). Redefining internationalization at home: Implementing global learning for all. Routledge. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-20877-0_5
Benz, P., & Rossier, T. (2022). Is interdisciplinarity distinctive? Scientific collaborations through research projects in natural sciences. Social science information, 61(1), 179-214. https://doi.org/10.1177/0539018422107778
Bherer, L. (2023). Internationalization practices in Quebec universities. French Politics, 21(2), 134-138. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41253-023-00211-6
Borgatti, S. P., Mehra, A., Brass, D. J., & Labianca, G. (2009). Network analysis in the social sciences. Science, 323(5916), 892-895. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1165821
Burt, R. S., Kilduff, M., & Tasselli, S. (2013). Social network analysis: Foundations and frontiers on advantage. Annual review of psychology, 64(1), 527-547. 10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143828
Carrera-Rivera, A., Ochoa, W., Larrinaga, F., & Lasa, G. (2022). How-to conduct a systematic literature review: A quick guide for computer science research. MethodsX, 9, 10.1016/j.mex.2022.101895
Christensen, C. M., Horn, M. B., & Johnson, C. W. (2008). Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns. McGraw-Hill. https://www.amazon.com.br/Disrupting-Class-Disruptive-Innovation-Change/dp/0071592067
Connell, R. (2007). Southern theory: The global dynamics of knowledge in social science. Polity Press. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003117346/southern-theory-raewyn-connell
Cooper, H., Hedges, L. V., & Valentine, J. C. (Eds.). (2019). The handbook of research synthesis and meta-analysis. Russell Sage Foundation. https://daneshnamehicsa.ir/userfiles/files/1/9-%20The%20Handbook%20of%20Research%20Synthesis%20and%20Meta-Analysis.pdf
De Matos, J. A., & Cunha, M. P. E. (2022). The paradoxes of developing European transnational campuses in China and Egypt. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership, 7(3), 561-595. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1362817
De Wit, H. (2010). Internationalization of Higher Education in Europe and Its Assessment, Trends and Issues. NVAO, 9(1), 1-24. https://www.eurashe.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/wg4-r-hans-de-wit-internationalisation-of-higher-education-europe-december-2010.pdf
De Wit, H. (2020). Internationalization in higher education: Global trends and recommendations for its future. Journal of International Students, 10(3), 3-6. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322969.2020.1820898
De Wit, H., Hunter, F., Howard, L., & Egron-Polak, E. (2015). Internationalisation of Higher Education. European Parliament. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2015/540370/IPOL_STU(2015)540370_EN.pdf
Doda, S., Hysa, A., & Liça, D. (2024). International Student Mobility: Pushing-Pulling Factors for International Students. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 14(6), 402-412. https://doi.org/10.36941/jesr-2024-0182
Downie, C. (2022). Competition, cooperation, and adaptation: The organizational ecology of international organizations in global energy governance. Review of International Studies, 48(2), 305–324. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0260210521000267
Eilstrup-Sangiovanni, M. (2020). Death of international organizations: The organizational ecology of intergovernmental organizations, 1815–2015. The Review of International Organizations, 15(2), 339–370. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11558-018-9340-5
Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Building theories from case study research. Academy of management review, 14(4), 532-550. https://www.jstor.org/stable/258557
Etzkowitz, H., & Leydesdorff, L. (2000). The dynamics of innovation: from National Systems and “Mode 2” to a Triple Helix of university–industry–government relations. Research Policy, 29(2), 109-123. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-7333(99)00055-4
Folke, C., Carpenter, S. R., Walker, B., Scheffer, M., Chapin, T., & Rockström, J. (2010). Resilience thinking: integrating resilience, adaptability and transformability. Ecology and Society, 15(4), 20. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26268226
Freeman, L. C. (1977). A set of measures of centrality based on betweenness. Sociometry, 40(1), 35-41. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3033543
Freeman, L. C. (2017). Research methods in social network analysis. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Research-Methods-in-Social-Network-Analysis/Freeman/p/book/9781560005698?srsltid=AfmBOooHwrSXvV1ama1wvusCo5jPbkVt6rZfMnkIB25_p13F8vM-i9aY
Gök, A., & Karaulova, M. (2024). How “international” is international research collaboration?. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 75(2), 97-114. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24842
Granovetter, M. (1990). The myth of social network analysis as a special method in the social sciences. Connections, 13(1-2), 13-16. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-Myth-of-Social-Network-Analysis-as-a-Special-in-Granovetter-Marx/02b4a958eb7c86449b5429f49e380cd356c50add
Haelewaters D, Hofmann TA, Romero-Olivares AL (2021) Ten simple rules for Global North researchers to stop perpetuating helicopter research in the Global South. PLoS Comput Biol 17(8): e1009277. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009277
Hannan, M. T., & Freeman, J. (1977). The population ecology of organizations. American Journal of Sociology, 82(5), 929–964. https://doi.org/10.1086/226424 https://www.jstor.org/stable/2777807
Hannan, M. T., & Freeman, J. (1984). Structural inertia and organizational change. American Sociological Review, 49(2), 149–164. https://doi.org/10.2307/2095567
Hannan, M. T., & Freeman, J. (1989). Organizational Ecology. Harvard University Press. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674643499
Heleta, S., & Chasi, C. (2024). Curriculum decolonization and internationalization: A critical perspective from South Africa. Journal of International Students, 14(2), 75–90. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1423358.pdf
Heyvaert, M., Maes, B., & Onghena, P. (2013). Mixed methods research synthesis: definition, framework, and potential. Quality & Quantity, 47, 659-676. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11135-011-9538-6
Hoeven, C. L., Stohl, C., Leonardi, P., & Stohl, M. (2021). Assessing organizational information visibility: Development and validation of the information visibility scale. Communication Research, 48(6), 895-927. https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502198770
Ilieva, R., Beck, K., & Waterstone, B. (2014). Towards sustainable internationalisation of higher education. Higher Education, 67(5), 547-560. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-014-9749-6
Jiang, X., & Deardorff, D. K. (2022). Handbook of internationalization of higher education in the global South. Routledge. https://dokumen.pub/the-bloomsbury-handbook-of-the-internationalization-of-higher-education-in-the-global-south-9781350139244-9781350139275-9781350139251.html
Kafarski, K., & Kazak, J. K. (2022). Erasmus staff mobility in the building of a european network: the case of a central European university. Sustainability, 14(9), 4949. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14094949
Kapfudzaruwa, F. (2024). Internationalization of higher education and emerging national rationales: Comparative analysis of the Global North and South. Higher Education Policy. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41307-024-00358-z
Knight, J. (2004). Internationalization remodeled: Definition, approaches, and rationales. Journal of Studies in International Education, 8(1), 5–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315303260832
Knight, J. (2013). The changing landscape of higher education internationalisation–for better or worse? Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 17(3), 84-90. 10.4324/9781315160870-3
Knight, J. (2020a). Internationalization: Trends, issues and challenges. Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315797007-29/trends-issues-challenges-internationalisation-higher-education-hans-de-wit-fiona-hunter
Knight, J. (2020b). The changing landscape of internationalization. In The future agenda for internationalization in higher education (pp. 15-30). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603108.2012.753957
Krueger, R. A., & Casey, M. A. (2015). Focus group interviewing. Handbook of practical program evaluation, 506-534. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119171386.ch20
LeBeau, L. G., & Zhang, F. (2022). Transformative international partnership during global challenges: A case study of a public research university in China during the pandemic. Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 14(3B), 130–142. https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1734&context=jcihe
Li, J., & Xue, E. (2022). Stakeholders’ perspectives on implementing “internationalization at home” for China’s international education sustainability: Challenges and strategies. Sustainability, 15(1), 247.
https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2022i1p247-d1013168.html
Marginson, S. (2011). Higher Education in the Global Knowledge Economy. Higher Education, 62(4), 425-433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.05.049
Marginson, S. (2016). Higher education and the common good. Melbourne University Publishing. https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10041829/
Marginson, S. (2022). Space and scale in higher education: The glonacal agency heuristic revisited. Higher Education, 84(6), 1365-1395. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00955-0
Marginson, S., & Rhoades, G. (2002). Beyond national states, markets, and systems of higher education: A glonacal agency heuristic. Higher Education, 43(3), 281-309. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014699605875
Morgan, D. L. (2012). Focus groups and social interaction. The Sage handbook of interview research: The complexity of the craft, 2, 161-176. 10.4135/9781452218403.n11
Morosini, M., Corte, M. D., & Guilherme, A. (2017). Internationalization of higher education: A perspective from the Great South. Creative Education, 8(1), 95–113. https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=73540
Morosini, M. C., Nez, E., & Woicolesco, V. G. (2021). Pedagogy for Internationalization at Home in the Brazilian Higher Education Context. PUCRS. https://repositorio.pucrs.br/dspace/bitstream/10923/24931/2/Pedagogy_for_Internationalization_at_Home_in_the_Brazilian_Higher_Education_Context.pdf
Moshtari, M., Delbakhsh, S., & Ghorbani, M. (2023). Challenges and policies for promoting internationalization—The case of Iranian public universities. Higher Education Quarterly, 77(4), 585-601. https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.12422
Nkansah, J. O. (2024). Academic dependency and neocolonialism in international research collaboration: Evidence from Ghanaian researchers. Higher Education, 87, 421-439. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-024-01393-w
Olenina, A., Bamberger, A., & Mun, O. (2023). Classed and gendered internationalisation of research and knowledge production: a critical analysis of international doctoral students in the UK (1998-2016). International Studies in Sociology of Education, 32(2), 443-465. https://doi.org/10.1080/09620214.2021.2008266
Pashby, K., & Andreotti, V. (2021). Decolonizing internationalization: Disentangling the complicities of higher education. Journal of Education Policy, 36(2), 151-170. 10.4324/9781003409205
Passey, D., Ntebutse, J. G., Ahmad, M. Y. A., & et al. (2024). Populations digitally excluded from education: Issues, factors, contributions and actions for policy, practice and research in a post-pandemic era. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 29(6), 1733–1750. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-024-09767-w
Paul, J., & Menzies, J. (2023). Conducting systematic literature reviews: A hands-on guide. International Journal of Research Methods, 12(4), 489-509.’ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2023.11.006
Prelec, T., Furstenberg, S., Heathershaw, J., & Thomson, C. (2022). Is academic freedom at risk from internationalisation? Results from a 2020 survey of UK social scientists. The International Journal of Human Rights, 26(10), 1698-1722. https://doi.org/10.1080/13642987.2021.2021398
Qiu, Y., García-Aracil, A., & Isusi-Fagoaga, R. (2023). Critical issues and trends in innovation and entrepreneurship education in higher education in the post-COVID-19 era in China and Spain. Education Sciences, 13(4), 407. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13040407
Ramírez-Valdivia, M. T., & Latorre, P. (2022). The influence of national quality assurance policies on institutional planning for internationalization processes of Chilean universities. Quality Assurance in Education, 30(3), 387-400. https://doi-org.ez345.periodicos.capes.gov.br/10.1108/QAE-08-2021-0127
Rhodes, R. A. W. (1997). Understanding Governance: Policy Networks, Governance, Reflexivity and Accountability. Buckingham: Open University Press. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233870082_Understanding_Governance_Policy_Networks_Governance_Reflexivity_and_Accountability
Robson, S., Kampff, A. J. C., Morosini, M., & Guilherme, A. A. (2022). Internationalization At Home: policies, practices and perspectives from the global north and south. Humanidades & Inovação. https://revista.unitins.br/index.php/humanidadeseinovacao/article/view/7266
Altbach, P. G., Reisberg, L., & Rumbley, L. E. (2009). Trends in global higher education: Tracking an academic revolution. Sense Publishers. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000183219
Santos, B. de S. (2010). Para além do pensamento abissal: das linhas globais a uma ecologia de saberes. In B. de S. Santos & M. P. Meneses (Orgs.), Epistemologias do Sul (pp. 31–83). Cortez. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0101-33002007000300004
Simek, L., & Stewart, W. H. (2024). International Student Recruitment and Support in Indonesia: A Systematic Review of Literature from 2012–2022. Journal of Studies in International Education, 10283153241235706. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315324123570
Streitwieser, B., Loo, B., Ohorodnik, M., & Jeong, J. (2021). Access for refugees into higher education: A review of interventions in North America and Europe. Journal of Studies in International Education, 25(4), 345-364. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315318813201
Sun, Y., Yang, F., Wang, D., & Ang, S. (2023). Efficiency evaluation for higher education institutions in China considering unbalanced regional development: A meta-frontier Super-SBM model. Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 88, 101648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seps.2023.101648
Sziegat, H. (2022). Transforming Governance of German Higher Education Institutions. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership, 7(3), 472-517. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1362847
Tashakkori, A., Johnson, R. B., & Teddlie, C. (2020). Foundations of mixed methods research: Integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches in the social and behavioral sciences. SAGE Publications. https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/foundations-of-mixed-methods-research/book252072
Teddlie, C., & Tashakkori, A. (2011). The field of mixed methods research (MMR), which we. The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research, 285. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/the-sage-handbook-of-qualitative-research/book242504
Teichler, U. (2004). The Changing Debate on Internationalization of Higher Education. Higher Education, 48(1), 5-26. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:HIGH.0000033771.69078.41
Tikly, L., & Bond, T. (2021). Towards a postcolonial research ethics in comparative and international education. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 51(3), 373-391. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2013.797721
Tranfield, D., Denyer, D., & Smart, P. (2003). Towards a methodology for developing evidence‐informed management knowledge by means of systematic review. British Journal of Management, 14(3), 207-222. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.00375
Watts, D. J., & Strogatz, S. H. (1998). Collective dynamics of ‘small-world’networks. nature, 393(6684), 440-442. https://www.nature.com/articles/30918
Weber, T., van Mol, C., & Wolbers, M. H. (2023). International Students as Sources of Income? Moving Beyond the Neoliberal Framing of Internationalization. Journal of Studies in International Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/10283153231211999
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 José Jassuipe da Silva Morais, Priscila Rezende da Costa, Camila Naves Arantes, Celise Marson

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
- Abstract 365
- pdf 118
- pdf (Português (Brasil)) 77
- ÁUDIO 1 (Português (Brasil)) 14
- ÁUDIO 2 (Português (Brasil)) 9
Funding data
-
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Grant numbers 177048/2023-9 -
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Grant numbers 309305/2023-3 -
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Grant numbers 2023/12389-1