GENERAL INFORMATION
TAM title: Internationalization of Higher Education Institutions
Type of Event: Workshop
Modality: Online
Country: Azerbaijan
Dates: 25 – 26 April 2024
Participants: 30 participants in total, representatives from the international offices of the higher education institutions in Azerbaijan and academic staff from Baku Higher Oil School.
THEMES COVERED
- Global trends, challenges, and opportunities in internationalization
- Strategic planning for institutional internationalization
- Best practices and lessons learned from EU HEIs' internationalization initiatives
- Networking and collaboration among HE professionals and international experts
- Development and use of internationalization tools and rankings systems
- Preparation of action plans for internationalization
- Intercultural exchange and internationalization at home / home-based internationalization
KEY OUTCOMES
During the workshop, participants:
Gained a comprehensive understanding of the global trends, challenges, and opportunities related to the internationalization of higher education institutions.
Learned about creating strategic plans for the internationalization of their respective institutions, tailored to their unique strengths, weaknesses, and goals.
OVERVIEW
The Technical Assistance Mission focused on strengthening the internationalization capacities of Azerbaijani higher education institutions. Conducted online, the workshop brought together representatives of international offices and academic staff to explore global trends, challenges, and opportunities in the internationalization of higher education. Through presentations, Q&A sessions, and interactive exchanges with an international expert, participants gained a clearer understanding of how global developments influence institutional strategies and competitiveness.
A key component of the event was guiding institutions in developing tailored strategic plans for internationalization. Participants were introduced to practical tools, ranking systems, and examples of effective initiatives from European universities. Discussions also highlighted approaches such as intercultural exchange and internationalization at home, helping attendees better conceptualize how international dimensions can be strengthened both within curricula and through campus engagement.
The workshop resulted in increased awareness of internationalization practices and stimulated future planning - most notably the decision by some institutions to initiate their Strategic Action Plans. Participants expressed strong appreciation for the clarity and relevance of the expert inputs, and recommendations were made to continue national-level collaboration through roundtable discussions and shared strategy development.
ENHANCING IMPACT: PROPOSED NEXT STEPS
- Organize roundtable discussions among international offices of Azerbaijani universities to share the latest experiences in internationalization.
- Develop a joint Strategic Action Plan for the internationalization of HEIs in Azerbaijan, to be discussed at the policy-making level.
- There is a need for curriculum development expertise with an international focus, especially in integrating global perspectives, cross-cultural competencies, and aligning with international standards and accreditation requirements.
- Use action plans effectively to guide institutional internationalization.
- Learning from ranking systems and internationalization tools to improve performance and competitiveness.
- Apply internationalization tools introduced during the workshop.
RESOURCES AND BACKGROUND MATERIAL
- Saenen, B., Morais, R., Gaillard, V. & Borrell-Damián, L. (2019). Research Assessment in the Transition to Open Science: 2019 EUA Open Science and Access Survey Results. Brussels: European University Association. Available at: https://eua.eu/downloads/publications/research%20assessment%20in%20the%20transition%20to%20open%20science.pdf
- Levecque, K., Anseel, F., De Beuckelaer, A., Van der Heyden, J. & Gisle, L. (2017). Work organisation and mental health problems in PhD students. Research Policy, 46(4), pp. 868–879. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2017.02.008
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