Assessing the Understanding of Mapua Community on Internationalization of Higher Education

Assessing the Understanding of Mapua Community on Internationalization of Higher Education

Edward Inimotimi Amakiri¹, Rakiya Maiwada Abubakar², Hamidu Mohammed Jada³

¹Department of Psychology School of Social Sciences and Education Mapúa University, Manila, Philippines

^2,3Department Education Faculty of Education Federal University Dutse Jigawa State, Nigeria

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.90700087

Received: 19 June 2025; Accepted: 24 June 2025; Published: 30 July 2025

ABSTRACT

This study explored the Mapua University community’s understanding of internationalization of higher education as it is lived and practiced within the university. The research aimed to evaluate the perspectives of faculty (teaching and non-teaching staff) and students (domestic and international) on internationalization, utilizing semi-structured interviews with 20 participants for data collection. Thematic analysis revealed four key themes. Firstly, there was a minimal understanding of internationalization among students compared to faculty. Secondly, participants held mixed views on intercultural awareness, with many students perceiving that faculty did not fully utilize the cultural diversity present in the classroom. Thirdly, findings indicated minimal faculty. engagement in the internationalization effort; while their crucial role was acknowledged, specific involvement was often unclear or limited, particularly in curriculum development, when compared to other internationalized institutions. Lastly, the curriculum was perceived as having insufficient diversity, with many participants feeling it lacked international content and presented knowledge from only certain global regions. These findings collectively suggest a need for enhanced awareness, more coherent strategies, and greater stakeholder involvement, especially in “internationalization-at-home” efforts, to truly advance Mapua University’s global competitiveness.

Keywords: Higher Education, Domestic Students, International Students. Internationalization, Faculty (teachers/administrators)

INTRODUCTION

Globally, over the last few years like any other business, higher education has been undergoing internationalization, and universities all over the world are leveraging this this phenomenon in order to attract international students. As such, some of the most renowned universities are establishing campuses in other countries, contribution to the globalization of higher education. Mapua University-(MU) has long keyed in to the process of internationalization, this is evident in its mission statement:

“The University shall provide a learning environment in order for its students to acquire the attributes that will make them globally competitive”

“The University shall engage in publishable and/or economically viable research, development, and innovation”

“The University shall provide state-of-the-art solutions to problems of industries and communities”

The university’s strides on internationalization of its higher education is also evident in its international programs and activities such as student exchange program, international on-the job-training-OJT, international plant visit, linkage and consortium evaluation. Recently, the university seem to have intensified its efforts in internationalizing the university, but a closer look on its internationalization efforts, the results suggests that Mapua University is still striving to transition national recognition to building an international reputation. Mapua University being a pacesetters in technological education, with a mission to offer a globally competitive education is keen to internationalizing its education in all ramifications. In recent years, numerous studies are conducted to assess the internationalization of higher education in other countries, while these could have served as a guide to Mapua University in its internationalization drive, but many of these studies only focused on limited aspects of internationalization, such as the number of international students or the language of instruction. Thus, they fell short in presenting a complete view on internationalization of higher education. It is against this background that the present study was conducted to examine:

• The depth of Mapua community’s understanding of internationalization.
• The extent to which faculty (teachers/administrators) understand their international students.
• How domestic/international students of Mapua University perceive internationalization.
• The intercultural awareness of Mapua community regarding its student’s diversity.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Globalization affects many facets of society including higher education, and this tends to have increased transnational movement of ideas and people. As the role of global interdependence becomes more and more accepted in all spheres of life; social dynamics, economic, political, and academics too has become more permeable to mobility and interdependence. According to Tahira and Masha (2015), universities worldwide act in response to challenges presented by globalization in numerous ways. One of which is the internationalization of the university education. In order to benefit from the global trend called internationalization, many higher institutions of learning are working round the clock to institute international relationships with other universities and forge cooperation with regional, international and intercontinental universities. As noted by the International Association of Universities (2005), internationalization is considered a precedence for many countries, governments, and higher education institutions, and that the process of internationalization has accelerated significantly the world over, and has brought visible changes in scope, interest, focus, and activities; ranging from study abroad programs, taking online courses in other countries/universities or in international branches or campuses, international partnerships, academic programs and research activities that stresses advancement of international students’ perspectives and skills, promotion of foreign language programs and access to cross-cultural understanding (Tahira & Masha, 2015). Consistent with the view above is CHED’s strategic goals for higher education in the Philippines which are geared towards capacity building of “the country’s human resource base towards international competitiveness and a provision of undergraduate and graduate education with international standards of quality and excellence.” The internationalization of higher education is top priority in international relations among universities and is regarded as way to advance the quality of education, and not as a goal in itself. Hence, Mestenhauser (2005) opined that scholars and practitioners around the world would agree that internationalization is not an option but a necessity.

However, due to its complexity, there is little agreement in terms of definition of the concept amongst scholars. Internationalization may refer to specific policies and initiatives of individual institutions, systems, and how it deals with global trends (Altbach, 2002), it may also refer the process of integrating an international dimensions into teaching/learning, research and service functions of an institution (Knight,1994). These varying definitions highlight the multifaceted nature of internationalization, encompassing both institutional strategies and the integration of global perspectives across all university functions, aspects that are relevant to Mapúa’s own efforts.

Benefits of Internationalization of Higher Education

The major aim or objective to internationalize higher education is to make available the best education to students, entrepreneurs, citizens, and future scientists. Internationalization is a drive for change and not an end itself – it functions in two ways. Internationalization can help students accomplish their dreams and achieve a quality education. On one hand, internationalization benefits students by creating chances for real world or real time learning. On the other hand, through the process of internationalization institutions could gain an international reputation. According to Marmolejo (2012), there are five reasons for internationalizing an institution, these include: to improve student’s preparedness, internationalize the curriculum, enhance the international profile of the institution, strengthen research and knowledge production, and expand the institution’s faculty.

In addition to the aforementioned, mentioned, internationalization can offer other valuable benefits like: helps to boost one’s intercultural awareness, it opens up students/staff to gaining new perspectives on education, and recognize international opportunities, it offers advantages in improving education, encourage students/staff collaborations and arouse new approaches in learning assessments. Internationalization helps to expands both students/faculty’s awareness of universal issues and how the educational systems operate across countries, cultures, and languages. The complexity of internationalization invokes numerous challenges for policy makers (e.g. having the same access to international education, protecting students, quality assurance, and on enhancing flexibility flows (OECD, 2008). In order for institutions to reap the benefits of internationalization, the institutions administration must be well organized and responsive to manage all aspects of internationalization. According to Tahira and Masha (2015), despite the fact that internationalization brings many benefits to higher education, there are crucial risks that come with, like academic colonization and troubles in ensuring education that worth.

Thus, a timely assessment is necessary to evaluate an institution’s performance in the internationalization of its higher education.

Practitioners and internationalization scholars have develop a variety of ways in measuring institutional performance in internationalization; creating audits, or mapping exercises, indicators, and standardizing exercises. Though in these initiatives, one may find the term assessment occasionally, the terms used most often are measures, indicators, and evaluation. Beerkens and colleagues (2010) in their project follow this linguistic path, indicators for Mapping and Profiling Internationalization, employing the term measuring as the key term for the programmatic and institutional perspective. Three components were specified by the authors: knowing where your organization stands (mapping) in terms of internationalization, examining the value of the internationalization efforts (evaluating), and setting an organizational identity (profiling), showing both internal and external stakeholders the strengths and ambitions of your organization from an internationalization perspective.

In Mapua University, assessment of its internationalization policies and efforts are done through post evaluation and feedback from participants of its exchange programs.  Rating scales are used to rate variety of outbound/inbound international programs, activities and experiences of the students.  The evaluation covers all international programs, such as student exchange program, international plant visit, summer camp, dual degree programs, international internship programs etc.

Indicators of Internationalization of Higher Education

Indicators determine whether internationalization policies are articulated as part of the basic policies declared by the university and whether the mission and its presentation are consistent. They also serve as yardstick for measuring internationalization of higher education. Commonly used internationalization indicators are international students, faculty and staff exchanges, internationalization of curricula, extra-curricular activities, commitment of the institution etc.

Commitment of Institutions

There is a growing trend recently for HEIs to generate strategic plans and mission statements to support their internationalization commitment. There is a growing commitment by institutions literature points out in the 1990s in Canada concerning internationalization, compared to previous eras. In the research case study findings of AUCC (2006) that internationalization still stands as a powerful feature of universities’ over-all as set strategy. Canon and Touisignant (1999) research findings also revealed that from an increasing number of universities this formal commitment has help explained a lot of changes that have happened or are now in Canadian universities under way.

In the U.S., as pointed out by Green (2002) that research conducted by American Council on Education (ACE) in the US discovered that almost one-third of institutions in their mission statements mentioned international education. Globally, the IAU (2005) survey from over 90 nations on internationalization practices of its institutional members revealed that majority of institutional leaders worldwide believe that internationalization is the most imperative policy for higher education.

International Students

In higher education institutions, recruitment of international students appears to be the most profoundly emphasized aspect of the internationalization process. Recently, international students competition among higher education institutions has deepened, and a change in the trend in movement of international students (ACE Issue Brief, 2006).This could be as a result of combination of factors such as developing countries entry into the higher education market, by some more favorable countries national policies, and well-built drive to create revenue, also the belief that students will bring different viewpoints to the universities. There were many host countries in international enrolment from 1999 – 2003, but the top six were the US, UK, Germany, France, Australia, and Japan (ACE Issue Brief, 2006). The US in 2003 hosted 586,316, approx. 25%, of the 2.3 million international students all-over the world. This shows an increase of 19% above 1999.US still been the top host nation for international students is recently experiencing a lower growth rates compared to other top host nations. This low growth rate in the market could be as a result of other factors, such as the effect of the Sept. 2001 terrorist outbreak, competition from other established markets, and it could also be as a result of other developing nations that have amplified their quality and capacity of higher education.

Internationalization of Curriculum

Researchers and educators recognized internationalization of curriculum as the most essential strategy that can influence all students. It is perceived as the only one that can offer student’s exposure to international education to acquire international skills and knowledge as many will not study abroad, but do so in the classroom through courses with global themes (ACE, 2005; Bond, 2003). The reason is that study abroad programs will be affected by socio-economic factors like living expenses and high school fees, and in some cases family responsibilities (Bond & Scott, 1999).

Faculty’s Role in Internationalization of Higher Education

Scholars and practitioners generally agree that there is a vital role faculty members have to play in the process of internationalization, particularly, on the internationalization of the curriculum (Bond, Huang, &Qian, 2003). According to Bond and Scott (1999), faculty is the key to change, their perspectives on knowledge generate the design and structure of the curriculum and students’ educational experience are shaped by the curriculum. Internationalizing an institutions curriculum is the most difficult component of international education to implement, which makes the faculty’s role difficult. According to the survey findings of AUCC (2000) and Bond, Huang, and Qian (2003) that expert growth to improve the skills of the faculty in the process of internationalization was an area of concern.

In Mapua University, faculty’s involvement in the internationalization activities depends on the nature of the activities. These faculty members are researchers and experts in different fields. In terms of teaching staff’s involvement in the design, structuring and internationalization of the curriculum is minimal to near absence. Mostly, the office of admission and international programs oversee the internationalization of the university. It facilitates program development and implementation in coordination with the various academic units to address challenges of internationalization within the university. It forges partnerships and creates opportunities to put into place specific activities in support of internationalization initiative. The office also facilitates the admissions and continuing experiences of international students by providing support and motivational programs for all international academic activities.

The Role of Extra-Curricular Activities

Considering the importance of student’s international experiences in learning, extra-curricular activities are one of the vital positive influencing factors to their international learning experiences. These extra-curricular experiences are from activities like international student’s week, orientation for international students, sport events, festival and cultural activities, conferences hosted by student associations, international house events and other volunteer opportunities (ACE, 2005; Grayson, 2004). Though it was indicated in past research as noted by Grayson (2004) that adding up to in-class experiences, there may be consequences of extra-curricular activities on educational outcomes, however, minimal research has been conducted to find out the engagement rate of international students in formal and informal outside class campus.

There were mixed research findings on extra-curricular activities. According to research conducted by Grayson (2004) that measured first year domestic and international students, their academic and social experiences in four Canadian universities within Canada, then their degree of engagement were related to educational outcomes, and found that international students were as engaged in extra-curricular activities as domestic students, but then no significant relationship between some extra-curricular activities was found such as outcomes in education and living in academic residence. In interviews conducted at the University of British Columbia by University (2004) for the Global Citizens’ Project, a lot of students reported that living in residences of the campus and participating in programs in the residence amplified their understanding of different cultures and made them better citizens. On the other hand, research findings by ACE (2005) stated that there was low participation in extra-curricular activities, and this was as a result of other obligations such as family, work, insufficient time, as well as numerous campus events.

Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) Take on Internationalization of HEIs

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is the governing body of both public and private higher education institutions as well as degree-granting programs in all tertiary educational institutions in the Philippines. The commission on its national public hearing on a proposed policy framework on the Internationalization of Philippine education in 2015, noted the strategic importance of internationalization of education, with the rational that, Philippine higher education is warranted by the demands of integration and globalization which the national higher education system alone cannot adequately meet. Thus as a matter of policy, CHED intends to pursue internationalization as a means to promote the quality of Philippine higher education that would translate into the development of a high-quality and competitive labor force that can adapt to shifting demands in the regional and global environment to support and sustain the country’s economic growth. CHED firmly believe that the best way to internationalize or to engage with the global academic community is for higher education institutes (HEIs) to intensify their quality assurance, capacity building and institutional development programs, it also believe that competency-based standards, quality instruction, research and extension programs are sacrosanct to internationalization.

Mapua University’s Profile on Internationalization of Higher Education

Mapúa is a private university under the governance of CHED, the university has as its mission; to provide a learning environment that will enable its students to acquire attributes that will make them globally competitive, engage in publishable and/or economically viable research, development, and innovation, and provide state-of-the-art solutions to problems of industries and communities. The university has strong ties in the international arena by having exchange programs and research collaboration with universities in Taiwan, South Korea, Sweden, and the USA, among others. In addition to this, the Institute also has other international programs such as OJT (internship) and plant visits with industry partners in Japan, Malaysia, USA, Spain, Singapore, and Thailand. The university’s polices on internationalization that are currently in place are; student exchange program, international on-the job-training-OJT, international plant visit, linkage and consortium evaluation. Other polices on internationalization in prospect are; dual-degree programs, English camp, and short-term summer program. From its inception till date, Mapúa University has accepted 173 inbound exchange students and sent 142 students abroad. It has also sent 35 Mapúans and accepted 3 foreign students for summer and leadership camps, while 180 foreign students have participated in the Mapúa English camp. While for international plant visits, 1,318 students have been sent to various destinations. On international on-the job training, a total of 210 students have been trained in different companies abroad.

However, it was noted by the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs that to be part of the roster of the best universities in the world, Mapúa need to foster more international linkages with other universities. According to the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Mapúa currently has more than 80 industry and academe partners, including research institutions and universities, and it has always been committed to honoring globally competitive students. In fulfilling this, the institution developed various international programs; student exchange programs, summer camps abroad, plant visits, and international internships. As noted by the Dean of Admission and International Programs, these international programs have promoted the quality of education added an intercultural and global dimension to the Institute.

The university has sent students to Japan, Spain, Malaysia, Thailand, United States of America, Iran, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, and China for on-the-job trainings, plant visits, student exchange programs, and summer and leadership camps. Furthermore, the ILRAD office has sent 46 research students to Taiwan and a total of 19 research faculty members to South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. Also, ILRAD facilitated the hosting of four foreign research students from Taiwan and Sweden and 52 foreign visiting trainers and professors from Australia, Denmark, Japan, Singapore, Sweden, and Taiwan. Increase the number of research papers in Scopus, the largest abstract and citation database for peer-reviewed literature, and to increase the traffic in inbound and outbound faculty and students and the Institute is also looking at increasing the number of visiting professors from different countries (Mapua 92nd Anniversary Special Supplement, January 23, 2017). However, despite Mapua’s scintillating profile and the concerted efforts to towards internationalizing the university, the result seems not commensurate with its efforts. Hence, the need to examine Mapuan’s understanding of the phenomenon of internationalization.

METHODOLOGY

The study employed a qualitative phenomenological approach to gain an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon of internationalization of higher education from the unique perspectives of both faculty and students (domestic and international) as it is lived and practiced at Mapua University. A purposive sample of n=20 participants was selected from within the university to ensure maximum variability is perceptions. The criteria for selection include eligible students of domestic and international students, as well teaching and non-teaching staff of faculty. Other criteria were, differences in programs and year of study on the part of the students considered, while distinction between teaching and non-teaching was considered faculty members.

Participant Demographics

To enhance transparency and contextualize the findings, the demographic breakdown of the 20 participants is provided in Table 1.

Table 1: Participant Demographic Characteristics

Research Setting

The study was carried out at Mapúa University, Manila, Philippines, a leading Information Technology-(IT) university located in the university belt, Intramuros, Manila, Philippines. The university is renowned for its excellence in technology education, with proven strengths in Engineering. Mapúa is the only ABET accredited university running four terms in a year. Hence, like other world class universities, it is known for its technological innovativeness and enjoys a high level of both national and international recognition.

Data Collection Procedure

A semi-structured interview method of data collection was used for data collection in this study. Semi-structured interviews schedules are utilized for in-depth interviews where respondents answer preset open-ended questions. It also allows for a schematic presentation of questions or topics to be explored by the interviewer.  Each interview lasted for approximately 45-60 minutes.

The initial question posed to all participants was: “How do you understand internationalization of higher education as it is lived and practiced in Mapúa University?” This opening question was followed by probing questions as the conversation progressed, designed to encourage participants to elaborate on specific points, provide more detail, or offer clarification. Examples of probing questions included: “Can you elaborate on what you mean by ‘minimal involvement’ of faculty?” or “Could you give a specific example of how intercultural awareness is or isn’t practiced in the classroom?”

Sample questions

• How do you understand internationalization of higher education as it lived and practiced in Mapua University?
• What are your views on intercultural awareness within Mapua University?
• What role, if any, do you believe faculty members play in the internationalization process at Mapua University
• How would you describe the diversity of the curriculum at Mapua University, particularly concerning international content?
• What benefits, if any, do you see from Mapua University’s internationalization efforts for yourself as a student/faculty member, and for the university as a whole?

Ethical Considerations

Prior to data collection, ethical approval was obtained from the Mapúa University Research Ethics Committee. All participants provided informed consent, and were given assurance of anonymity and confidentiality, and were informed of their right to withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. Audio recordings of the interviews were made with explicit permission from the participants and were securely stored.

Data Analysis

The study utilized Braun and Clarke’s (2006) approach to thematic analysis for analyzing the phenomenological data acquired through the semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis is a flexible method for identifying, analyzing, and reporting patterns (themes) within qualitative data. The process involved six phases:

Familiarizing with the data: Transcripts of all interviews were read and re-read multiple times to gain a deep understanding of the content and identify initial ideas.

Generating initial codes: Interesting features across the entire dataset were systematically coded. This involved identifying distinct concepts and initial impressions from the data.

Searching for themes: Codes were sorted into potential themes, and all relevant coded data extracts were collated under these themes.

Reviewing themes: Themes were reviewed at two levels: first, ensuring that coded extracts within each theme formed a coherent pattern, and second, checking if the themes accurately reflected the entire dataset in relation to the research questions. This iterative process involved collapsing, splitting, or refining themes as necessary.

Defining and naming themes: Each theme was clearly defined, identifying its essence and what aspects of the data it captured. Clear, concise names were chosen for each theme.

Producing the report: A detailed analysis was constructed, weaving together the analytic narrative and supporting data extracts to tell the story of the data in relation to the research questions.

Data saturation was achieved when no new themes or significant insights emerged from subsequent interviews, indicating that sufficient data had been collected to address the research objectives. Credibility and trustworthiness were established through several measures: regular debriefing sessions among the researchers to discuss interpretations and potential biases, and systematic coding procedures to ensure consistency.

FINDINGS/DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

The participant’s perspectives on internationalization of higher education as it is lived and practiced at Mapua University are presented below. Their views reflected four main themes as follows;

Theme 1. Minimal Understanding of Internationalization of Higher Education by Students compared to Faculty Members

The findings revealed a clear difference in understanding of internationalization of higher education between faculty and students. Students generally exhibited a minimal understanding and awareness of internationalization, with many having little to no idea of what it entails or how it is practiced at Mapúa University. The few students who demonstrated some understanding primarily associated it with professors using English in the classroom and ABET accreditation. In contrast, faculty members demonstrated a clear understanding of internationalization as it is lived and practiced at Mapúa University. For faculty, internationalization encompassed making students globally competitive, meeting international standards, competing globally, and improving the quality of education in terms of services, teaching, and research.

Theme 2.  Mixed Views on Intercultural Awareness

Intercultural awareness and a diverse student population are widely recognized by scholars as crucial components in the internationalization process of university campuses. To foster this diversity, higher education institutions commonly recruit international students. Such intercultural awareness and diversity are essential for building productive relationships and operating effectively within a globalized and internationalized environment.

This study’s findings revealed diverse views on intercultural awareness at Mapúa University. Specifically, 75% (i.e. 7) of the student participants indicated that faculty members do not adequately acknowledge the cultural diversity present within Mapúa. These students explained that teachers often do not leverage or consider the mix of domestic and international students in the class, frequently speaking in the local language. Conversely, 25% (i.e. 3) of the student participants held a different view, suggesting that teachers effectively utilize the diverse student body by predominantly adjusting to English in mixed classes. While the use of English is a factor, intercultural awareness extends beyond language to actively engaging with and integrating diverse cultural perspectives into teaching materials and classroom interactions.

Theme 3. Minimal Involvement by Faculty in the internationalization Effort

While participants acknowledged the critical role of faculty in internationalization, a significant finding was their limited or unclear involvement. Students held mixed views, with some seeing faculty as guiding research for international publication, while others believed faculty’s role was strictly teaching. Faculty participants generally perceived their internationalization role as promoting education and research in line with international standards. However, both faculty and students noted that faculty’s actual engagement in internationalization processes, particularly in curriculum design and implementation, was minimal compared to other internationalized universities. This disparity to a large extent highlights the recognized importance of faculty and the need for greater faculty involvement and participation in Mapua University’s internationalization process.

Theme 4. Insufficient Diversity of the Curriculum

Participants indicated that Mapua’s curriculum lacked sufficient international diversity, which hindered their understanding of global issues and other cultures. While a minority of respondents cited courses like international management and English as having international content, most students felt that their courses lacked such content. They expressed concerns that the curriculum was not broad enough, presenting knowledge primarily from limited parts of the world and excluding perspectives from developing regions like Asia and Africa. This perceived insufficiency was seen as irrelevant in a rapidly changing global environment.

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

Theme 1: Minimal Understanding of Internationalization of Higher Education by Students Compared to Faculty Members.

The minimal understanding by students on internationalization of higher education is partly a reflection of lack of awareness on the internationalization drive of the university on the part of the students, and partly a reflection of the unbalanced approach to internationalization by the university. As pointed out by most of the participants, the university in its internationalization policies tends to favor internationalization-abroad than internalization-at-home. Faculty participants who have a clear understanding of internationalization where quick to mention policies such as student exchange programs, international on-the job-training-OJT, international plant visits etc. which are all policies tuned in the direction of internationalization-abroad but less in the direction of internationalization-at-home. According to Krista e and Jordan (2013) participation in activities related to internationalization at home such like participation in on-campus global/international activities, enrollment in global/international coursework yields greater benefits for students and by extension the institution.

Theme 2: Mixed Views on Intercultural Awareness

Higher learning institutions may have a micro or macro view on internationalization or may adopt differing approaches, or have different goals, but one common goal of internationalization is international learning, intercultural awareness and competence for both students and faculty. The importance of intercultural awareness and diversity for productive relationships, and its influence on internationalization is variously stressed by many researchers and supported by numerous findings. The mixed views on intercultural awareness in Mapau University as reflected in seventy-five percent (75%) of the student’s views indicating a poor utilization of the student diversity, while twenty-five percent (25%) held a contrary view that teachers utilizes the mix of domestic/international students by most times adjust to English in the mix classes. However, it is noteworthy that intercultural awareness goes beyond adjusting to use of English in the classroom, it entails paying attention to the actual diversity in the classroom, knowing the cultures/background of students, and making conscious efforts to bring in diverse perspectives represented in examples and teaching materials. Undoubtedly, intercultural awareness plays a significant role in the internationalization of higher education. According to Brian (2011), “intercultural understanding plays a vital role in the internationalization of the classroom. That with sound awareness of the cultural diversity present in the classroom, faculty members can provide learning opportunities, both socially and academically that meets the needs of host and international students while preparing them for effective interactions in a globalized society”.

Theme 3: Minimal Involvement of Faculty in the Internationalization Effort

Faculty’s role and their relevance in the internationalization of higher education Mapua University were reflected on his theme. To some students, faculty (teachers) have no role to play in internationalization, this view was prompted by the lack of any other visible role connected to internationalization other than teaching. Others who held a contrary opinion that Faculty plays a role in the internationalization of higher education in Mapua University could not specify any of these roles. For faculty participants, they see themselves playing roles on internationalization in terms of promoting education and research, and complying with international standards. However, they agree that they play a minimal role compared to other internationalized universities wherein faculty plays greater role in designing, structuring and implementation of curriculum that helps to shape the educational experience of the students. This finding to a large extent reveals the importance of faculty’s involvement in the internationalization process of any institution and particularly for Mapua University.

Theme 4: Insufficient Diversity of the Curriculum

The participant’s views Mapua’s curriculum as insufficient in diversity which partly reveals the complexity and challenges associated with internationalization through curriculum. Furthermore, the participants perspectives speak volume on the importance curriculum internationalization will have on the internationalization efforts of the university.

These views are supported by Bond’s (2003) submission that internationalization of curriculum is the most important of the internationalization strategies that can impact all students. That it exposes students to international education, and enable them acquire international skills and knowledge in the school through courses with global themes.

SUMMARY/CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary

This study evaluated the Mapua University community’s perspectives on the internationalization of higher education. Utilizing semi-structured interviews with domestic and international students, as well as faculty, data was collected focusing on curriculum internationalization, faculty roles, and related extra-curricular activities. Thematic analysis of participant perspectives aimed to gain insights into Mapua’s internationalization practices, its contributions to student education and the institution, and implications for future research and practice. Findings revealed that while some faculty and a limited number of students understood internationalization and its benefits, a significant portion of students lacked awareness of the concept or its advantages. Overall, the study concluded that well-executed internationalization efforts hold the potential to create valuable opportunities for students, faculty, and the university as a whole.

Conclusion

The global landscape of higher education increasingly necessitates internationalization, making it a critical priority for Mapua University. While Mapua has implemented various international academic and non-academic programs, the study reveals areas for improvement, particularly regarding strategy coherence. Effective internationalization requires the full involvement, communication, and collaboration of all university stakeholders, including faculty and students. To truly foster global competitiveness and adapt to evolving demands, Mapua University must further integrate and prioritize the development of intercultural skills, international knowledge, and multicultural competencies within its internationalization framework.

Recommendations

The recommendations presented in this study are derived from both participant suggestions and the study’s findings. The researchers believe that incorporating these recommendations into the university’s existing internationalization policies will not only strengthen these policies but also aid Mapúa University’s objective of achieving a higher ranking in the QS Asian ranking.

Enhance Faculty Involvement: The Mapúa Administration should recognize and actively involve faculty in all facets of academic life, particularly in its internationalization efforts. To achieve successful internationalization, the administration should move beyond mere recognition to fully engaging faculty in the internationalization process, especially in “Internationalization-at-Home” programs such as curriculum design and implementation. Additionally, Mapúa’s administration should ensure faculty’s full engagement in collaborative research both locally and internationally. This will help enhance the university’s reputation and ultimately its international prestige and competitiveness.

Diversify and Internationalize Curriculum: The curriculum should be internationalized and its content diversified. This includes incorporating international studies and foreign languages like Japanese or Mandarin, as well as courses with international content from developing regions such as Asia and Africa. Embedding international perspectives in the curriculum will foster inclusive learning and teaching, providing students with a more balanced global view.

Balance Internationalization Strategies: The administration should balance “internationalization-abroad” programs with “internationalization-at-home” initiatives. This means complementing outbound student mobility programs like plant visits and international on-the-job training (OJT) with on-campus international activities and programs such as international curricula and research, co-curricular/extra-curricular activities, foreign language study, and intercultural training for both students and faculty.

Increase Awareness and Participation: Given that most student participants exhibited a limited understanding of higher education internationalization and a lack of awareness regarding ongoing internationalization efforts at the university, the researchers recommend that the administration take proactive steps to create more awareness. This can be achieved through promotions and advertisements of its international programs, ensuring full participation of both domestic and international students in these programs and events.

Implication of the Study

The researchers believe that the findings in this study such as the role of faculty in the internationalization of Mapua, mixed views on intercultural awareness, and study abroad programs as opposed to internalization-at-home programs, insufficient diversity of the curriculum, and the suggestions raised by the participants will have implications for policy and practice that will facilitate in engendering the prestige and reputation of the university as well promote the international characteristics needed in both students/faculty that are desirable in the world arena such as intercultural-sensitivity and competence, ethical commitment, second language fluency, flexibility of thoughts, tolerance and respect for others.

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