The Internationalisation of Emerging Universities: Challenges and Opportunities – A Case Study from Saudi Arabia

Neoliberal ideology has increasingly influenced the higher education sector, driving trends such as marketisation and competition in global rankings. In some regions, governments lead this transformation. For instance, Saudi Arabia aims “to have at least five Saudi universities among the top 200 universities in international rankings” (Vision 2030, 2016. p.40). Internationalisation is viewed as a critical reaction in this global setting, but universities, particularly emerging ones, vary in their ability to adopt it. While these institutions may have high expectations, they face significant challenges and research focusing on emerging universities remains limited.

This research project explores the attitudes and actions of Saudi emerging universities (defined as public universities established post-2003 by merging the regional branches of universities under a unified administration) towards national trends in internationalisation practices; the opportunities these trends present; and the potential challenges they pose. The study is based on interviews with 36 policy practitioners across 16 Saudi emerging universities, alongside analysis of the universities’ strategic plans and three national policies related to the internationalisation of higher education (IOHE).

The analysis indicates that national policies strongly influence emerging universities to adopt internationalisation practices, primarily to align with national goals. This is expanded to enhance the quality of academic programmes, address stereotypes about KSA, and explore alternative funding sources. However, several challenges hinder the full realisation of these goals, including unclear policies, centralisation, limited funding, and cultural barriers.

The results indicate that the dominant, Western-oriented internationalisation paradigm may not be compatible with the institutional, social, and cultural realities of the Saudi context. The study highlights tensions between the government’s push for internationalisation and national policies. It foregrounds Islamic values as a core theoretical rationale for IOHE in KSA and offers policy practitioners’ recommendations for bridging the gap between national frameworks and practical realities of implementation in emerging universities.