Internationalizing from the Border: Governance and Academic Cooperation between Paraguay and Argentina

Abstract

In the Latin American context, characterized by debates on hegemonic models of internationalization and approaches oriented toward regional cooperation, this study seeks to understand how interuniversity cooperation processes are configured and managed in cross-border settings. The objective is therefore to analyze the management of internationalization and academic cooperation in border universities located between Paraguay and Argentina. A qualitative, exploratory-descriptive, and comparative study was conducted. The institutional strategic plans of the National University of Formosa, the National University of the Northeast, and the National University of Pilar were analyzed, and in 2025 a semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 12 institutional actors involved in cooperation and internationalization processes. The information was examined through comparative document analysis and thematic analysis. The universities analyzed incorporate internationalization and cooperation into their planning instruments, although with different levels of explicitness and operationalization. Cooperation is concentrated in academic mobility, joint research, shared training initiatives, and academic networks, with a predominance of declarative and operational levels over a still uneven degree of strategic institutionalization. The main barriers identified were financial, organizational, and strategic. It is concluded that cross-border academic cooperation constitutes a valued and territorial relevant practice, but its consolidation requires stronger integration with institutional planning, stable funding, interinstitutional coordination, and systematic monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.