The prevalence of internationalization of higher education in the Middle East and North Africa: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

Internationalization of higher education enhances global citizenship, graduates’ competitiveness, and institutional leverage. Little empirical analysis has targeted emerging markets like the Middle East and North Africa. This investigation surveys 73 administrators and faculty in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Qatar to estimate the prevalence of internationalization on five dimensions: strategic vision, international opportunities choices, organization resources, research endeavors, and international students. The author gathered data using Qualtrics online survey measuring the aforementioned five dimensions of internationalization followed by supplementary interviews with administrators. On an internationalization index ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores correspond to higher internationalization levels, Qatar appears to exhibit the highest level of internationalization at 65. Jordan possesses a minimal moderate internationalization level at 35. On the other hand, Morocco and Egypt have low internationalization levels at 31 and 30, respectively. Institutions in the Arab World focus on international students’ recruitment and neglect the devotion of organizational resources or prioritizing research endeavors, making internationalization a strategic asset. Internationalization remains in the purview of economically endowed families, leaving the majority of students with little access to its benefits. Institutions are recommended to allocate more staffing and financial resources to increase internationalization, making it a strategic asset.