Changing Strategy Discourses for Internationalisation in UK Universities, 2010-2020, and their Implications for Practice

This study examines and evaluates internationalisation in UK Universities from the perspective of the themes which underpin institutional international strategy. The context for the study is my own professional practice as a senior academic manager developing and leading the operationalisation of school level international plans and contributing to institutional international strategy development and institutional practice in internationalisation. The study involves analysis of a sample of UK university international strategy documents and thematic interviews with senior university managers responsible for institutional international strategy development in a post-92 UK university called Violet University. The research study objectives are to identify the dominant themes of internationalisation through institutional strategy at Violet and other UK universities and evaluate shifts in those themes between 2010 to 2020, a period where higher education policy has accelerated moves towards market-based approaches in UK higher education. This study also considers how institutional strategy can influence and enhance internationalisation practice at Violet and other UK universities. I identify a conceptualisation of internationalisation as a process in UK universities which prioritises income generation and brand positioning through strategy documents. Whilst broad positive ideals of internationalisation also emerge through the theme of global engagement, problems and challenges associated with practice surface less readily. From this study, suggestions are made to improve connections between institutional strategy and internationalisation practice at Violet and UK universities. Adoption of the term internationality is proposed to promote positive ideals of global engagement alongside recommendations to bridge strategy and practice gaps. In this way, problems and challenges arising in practice which may otherwise be masked or silenced through strategy documents and strategy practice can be surfaced and addressed. Through this study, and the original contribution to practice made, development, implementation, reflection and review of global engagement strategy and practice will be enhanced at Violet and UK universities.