Reimagining the Potential and the Purpose of International Higher Education Partnerships

'Partnership' is a term widely used in the higher education sector and has come to encompass a range of meanings (Samoff and Carrol, 2004; Li, 2017). The term is utilised to describe exchanges, franchising, capacity building initiatives, and joint research, to name a few. It is assumed that these partnerships have potential for enhancing the experiences of staff and students by: sharing best practice, stimulating knowledge exchange, and enhancing cross-cultural understanding and experiences (Stephan, 2010; Ashton and Wagman, 2015; Bordogna, 2018; Buck Sutton, 2018; Gatewood, 2019). Despite UK universities having multiple, longstanding international partners (Stanfield, 2010), there have been limited systematic studies on specific activities and their impacts (Samoff and Carrol, 2004). Research exploring the geopolitics of higher education partnerships is limited, thus an in-depth study gathering data from those involved, based on theoretical knowledge with a practical orientation will provide vital insight.

With the higher education sector operating in a dynamic and expanding global environment (Naidoo, 2009), opportunities that international partnerships continue to be outlined as priorities for UK universities. Despite this, universities continue to make decisions and use vital resources in developing partnerships on the basis of limited evidence-based research into what makes a partnership successful. Additionally, the changing political environment, including the UK's recent departure from the European Union and the impact of the global pandemic on changing approaches to internationalisation, have further highlighted the need for a reimagining of the purpose and potential of international academic partnerships. As such, further research into how to ensure that partnerships are genuinely mutually beneficial and considerate of the needs of both sides is timely.

Through data gathered directly from those who have been involved in the establishment of international partnerships, the study will seek to make recommendations on how to ensure that academic partnerships are successful and meaningful. The study will use a combination of text-based analysis and ethnographic case study exploring key identified partnerships to seek to provide insight into the following questions:

1. What are the aims and expectations of international academic partnerships?
2. What are the requirements and challenges of establishing and maintaining a mutually-beneficial international partnership in the current Higher Education climate?
3. What are the potential benefits of an international academic partnership and how can this be achieved?

The case study will involve travel to selected sites within a partnership consortium (UK, Spain, and Romania) to gather data through interviews and observations with students and staff. Specific discussions will be developed collaboratively with the partners so as to ensure that the study is both practically viable and useful. As highlighted by Bordogna (2018), the relationships between key stakeholders in partnerships are often the driving force behind success; therefore, gaining insight from those directly involved will fill the gaps in existing research and establish potential requirements and challenges for a successful partnerships. Data will be analysed through theoretically-informed thematic analysis and critical discourse analysis to answer the research questions and to establish how staff and students feel their experiences have been, or could be, impacted by an effective international partnership. The data will be considered alongside existing literature, policy documentation, and official statements to establish strengths and weaknesses of partnership development.