A set of indicators for measuring and comparing university internationalisation performance across national boundaries

Abstract

Since universities’ commitment to internationalisation has been increasing, instruments for measuring institutional internationalisation performance are urgently needed to monitor and evaluate the progress made about internationalisation. Although efforts have been made to develop various tools, an internationally applicable instrument for universities to measure and compare their internationalisation performance remains missing. This study attempted to develop an indicator framework of such kind to fill the gap. A total of 182 administrative staff and 17 policymakers from 17 flagship universities in Australia, Singapore and China were consulted in order to establish the framework. The study resulted in a set of 15 indicators that captures six key dimensions of university internationalisation. It attempts to cover internationalisation in its widest possible sense with practical number of indicators. This study also contributes to the knowledge body of developing measurement for university internationalisation by reflecting on the fundamental challenge of measuring the phenomenon.