Unveiling pathways: embracing a decolonised approach in the definition of the internationalisation of higher education in Mozambique

Like other parts of Africa, Mozambique’s higher education system is deeply entwined with the nation’s colonial past. Calls for decolonising university rules and processes are heightened due to this impact. Demands for decolonising university procedures are rising worldwide, including in Africa. Although recognised as a university practice, internationalisation is still mostly Eurocentric in African higher education, leaving an opportunity for a decolonial lens to be applied in redefining and rethinking it. This paper critically examines different interpretations of internationalisation at both national and university levels, drawing on policy documents and recent publications on Mozambican higher education, and proposes a sui generis definition tailored to the Mozambican context considering the country’s historical complexity, socioeconomic realities, and the necessity of epistemic decolonisation. We believe the new definition will impact many aspects of internationalisation and contribute to the transformation and decolonisation of higher education in Mozambique and potentially other colonised Portuguese-speaking African nations.