Strategic planning of internationalization in public universities: bibliometric analysis of scientific production 2003-2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36097/rsan.v1iEspecial_4.4211Keywords:
Higher education, Student mobility, strategic planning, InternationalizationAbstract
Internationalization constitutes a relevant component of university planning, particularly in public institutions that must reconcile global engagement, resource constraints, and social responsibilities. This study aimed to analyze scientific production on the strategic planning of internationalization in public universities during the 2003–2025 period. A descriptive and relational bibliometric study was conducted on 137 articles retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science. The analysis included productivity, impact, and collaboration indicators; the application of Bradford’s and Lotka’s laws; keyword co-occurrence analysis; thematic mapping; Multiple Correspondence Analysis; and bibliographic coupling, complemented by a thematic review of representative documents. The scientific literature shows recent expansion but remains structurally fragmented. Low international collaboration, high author dispersion, and thematic concentration around internationalization, governance, institutional policy, language policy, and implementation challenges were identified. The conceptual analyses revealed a distinction between political-institutional and sociolinguistic approaches, as well as between macro-level perspectives focused on institutional positioning and studies centered on implementation. It is concluded that the field is undergoing consolidation but continues to show limited articulation among its main research strands. More integrative analytical frameworks are needed to connect the planning, implementation, and evaluation of internationalization, with greater attention to Global South contexts and transnational scientific cooperation.
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