Internationalization of Higher Education in the ASEAN Region: Is the HEI in the state of “Becoming internationalized or Being internationalized?

Empirical studies on internationalization of HEIs in the ASEAN countries exist, but are small in scale and are dependent quantitative methods or are limited in perspectives. Therefore, there is a need for a study to examine the role of the selected HEIs in the ASEAN region in managing campus internationalization. The major significance of the study is in its potential contribution to the practice of internationalization and strategic management in higher education. It will shed light on the state of “becoming or being internationalized. The “how is it done?” dimension of university management as it applies to this sphere and, where it appears to be done well, is explored. Some of the strategies evident in the cases were: diversification of teaching delivery modes, exploration of cross-border opportunities, the establishment of strategic alliances, forecasting entrepreneurial research, corporatization, mutual recognition of degrees, intensification of networking abroad, and implementation of onestop service to foreign students. The study proposed a framework to determine whether the HEI is in the state of “Becoming internationalized or Being internationalized.” The framework consists of distinct processes and strategies based on the effective practices culled out from the case studies. While the framework is built around Knight’s (1995) process approach of the internationalization model and Knight’s (2004) remodeled version, several significant additions were made. Using this framework as a touchstone, academic managers could get their bearings when assessing their university’s position and would have a tool for planning future directions and performance. Keywords— Internationalization of Higher Education, ASEAN, global campus, higher education institutions, Becoming internationalized, Being internationalized