Internationalization of graduate education in Brazil: rationale and mechanisms

Abstract

Along the past two or three decades, the international dimension has become an integral part of education activities and scientific research, giving rise to the notion of internationalization. In this article, the internationalization rationale and mechanisms implemented by the top graduate programs in Brazil those which have received scores 6 and 7 in the 2010 triennial evaluation of recognized graduate programs are examined. Graduate directors of 322 programs were asked to respond to a web questionnaire organized in three content sections that deal with different aspects of their internationalization efforts, namely: meaning(s) and justifications; strategies, initiatives and partners; and facilitating and inhibiting factors. After validation, 66 remained valid questionnaires and form the dataset used to develop the study. A prevalence of an activity-oriented conception of internationalization was detected amongst those programs. Outward mobility is seen as the main mechanism to boost international experience, network building and research collaboration. Albeit incipient, initiatives to attract foreign scholars and efforts towards “internationalization at home” are gaining momentum. The presence of faculty members who are trained abroad, and can mobilize their networks to establish scientific exchanges and partnerships, is considered a key condition for internationalization. However, the lack of a national strategy, appropriate administrative systems and institutional policies in most Brazilian higher education institutions hamper the development of those connections into more meaningful and sustained cooperation.