Different but Still the Same? A Review of Recent Australian University Internationalization Approaches

In the quest for higher education internationalization approaches, there remains much debate about how to redefine “internationalization” in a post-pandemic context through which the limitations of student mobility have been exposed. This article contributes to current debates about future directions and definitions of internationalization by offering insightful analysis of recent approaches and conceptualizations across the Australian university sector. To do so, we conducted a desktop review of universities’ public-facing international strategies and analyzed the documents for patterns in practices and priorities. Our findings generate a timely picture of internationalization approaches and indicate the broadening conceptualization of internationalization within the sector, moving away from a focus primarily on student recruitment and toward a richer understanding of the ways in which diversity can thrive in a globalized university community. Yet, our research also highlights the clear commonalities of approaches across the Australian sector and emphasizes an opportunity for universities to develop more individualized approaches that better reflect their unique contexts and the diversities within their own community. Furthermore, despite an increased focus on the social aspects of internationalization, findings suggest that the economically driven practices of recruitment and reputation remain prominent within the sector.