Enhancing international research and development-project activity on University Campuses: Insights from U.S. senior international officers

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

In the interconnected world of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, the ability of higher-education institutions to contribute to and benefit from international research undertakings, sustainable-development-project activity, and capacity-building endeavors requires transnational involvement. While the potential benefits are many, universities in the global North face institutional and financial constraints that limit their involvement in cross-border ventures. The article explores and places in comparative perspective the views of 40 U.S. senior international officers (SIOs) on changes they believe would enhance their university's involvement in international research and overseas development-assistance projects. One important objective of this report is to generate awareness and further discussion regarding ways in which higher-education administrators can promote institutional involvement in international research and development projects. While a majority of the SIOs at non-Ph.D.-conferring institutions and at universities with enrollments of 15,000 and less believe that improvement in some dimension of their external environment would be most helpful in encouraging greater involvement in international research and development-project activity on their campus, three-fourths or more of their counterparts at Ph.D.-conferring institutions and at universities with enrollments that exceed 15,000 students identified an internal change as most needed. Viewed in totality, these exploratory findings suggest the need for diversified and long-term additionality in both internal and external financial support for campus-based international research, development-project, and capacity-building initiatives. Additional campus-based and external support will enable planned international research and development initiatives in less-connected regions of the world, such as Africa, to go forward.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)332-350
Number of pages19
JournalJournal of Studies in International Education
Volume15
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2011

Keywords

  • AIEA
  • APLU
  • capacity building
  • higher education administrators
  • SIOs
  • sustainable development
  • transnational research

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Enhancing international research and development-project activity on University Campuses: Insights from U.S. senior international officers'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this