BRAZILIAN THESES AND DISSERTATIONS ABOUT THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION: A SCIENTOMETRIC ANALYSIS (2013-2022)

Abstract

The academic debate about internationalization of higher education, which has accumulated over the last three decades, discusses the scientific policy strategies of universities and governments in order to achieve better positions in university rankings. In Brazil, internationalization is linked to the Evaluation of Postgraduate Programmes (CAPES), which is one of the main indicators, and is a fundamental goal for scientific development and excellence in higher education in the country. This research conducts a scientometric analysis of the production of knowledge on the subject from 251 theses and dissertations defended between 2013-2022, with the aim of answering: a) what are the predominant themes in these productions and how do they dialogue with each other? b) How does this production behave in its geographical, institutional and field of knowledge dimensions? We found that the production stands out in the areas of Education and Administration, with a concentration in the southern region. Thematically, there is a significant emphasis on the evaluation of science and postgraduate programs, the student dimension in international mobility programs, and aspects related to teaching. In addition, the bimodal network analysis (areas and words) allows us to point to evidence of at least four research agendas: (i) Educational and teaching policies, with an emphasis on postgraduate level, (ii) Management and planning of teaching and HEIs, (iii) Foreign language and coloniality, and (iv) Government policies, regulation and academic production.