The Internationalisation of Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC): A comparative content analysis

Mashombotwa Mukwena
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Mashombotwa Mukwena: University of University (UNILUS), Lusaka, Zambia

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 2021, vol. 5, issue 2, 216-222

Abstract: In the thrust to achieve the goal of internationalisation, the mission statements of Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) serve as a standard to guide the translation of policy into practice. Since the first organisational guide by Drucker in 1974, mission statements have become normative in all sectors including education. Pedagogical challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in education sectors the world over has led to immense discourse regarding internationalisation, a concept substantially debated even before the pandemic. This study takes stock of the current standing of 127 mission statements from HEIs in Southern Africa. Additionally, a comparative analysis between the SADC mission statements and 164 HEIs from the world’s Top 200 Universities in 2020. A quantitative content analysis approach utilising Voyant Tools © software allowed for a large volume of text (corpus) to be analysed and meaningful aggregates produced. This approach does not utilise hypotheses or pre-set taxonomies allowing for exploratory inductive data analysis. Previous studies have been restricted to country contexts with no open access data and based on small samples. This study established that both datasets (SADC and Top 200) exhibited similar global tenets of mission statement components. However, notable differences exist with SADC mission statements attempting to align themselves with the goal of contributing to their respective nations’ economic development. The global (Top 200) dataset’s international orientation focused on student exchanges and collaborative research while in SADC provision of high-quality education meeting international standards is the focus. The study recommends that post pandemic realignment of mission statements in accordance to the intended internationalisation goal is required to ensure policy to practice harmonisation.

Date: 2021
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