Exploring global trends in the perceived importance of marketing for the internationalization of HEIs

Internationalization of higher education is not a novel phenomenon, but with commercialization and commodification of higher education, the importance of marketing has become a central issue. Attracting an increasing number of students from different countries could mean competitive advantage for higher education institutions, some of which often rely on international students as a source of income. The aim of this research is to measure how the perceived importance of, and the role played by higher education marketing varies in the internationalization process of higher education institutions globally. The research examines data from the sixth global survey of the International Association of Universities with 722 participating institutions. Correlation, factor, and cluster analysis were run to determine the perceived importance of marketing in the internationalization activities of higher education institutions. Results indicate a significant perceived importance of marketing activities in internationalization, with distinct global university clusters emphasizing different aspects of marketing activities.