THE PERCEPTION OF INNOVATION IN INTERNATIONALIZATION AT HOME IN BRAZILIAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

This study aims to map innovative internalization at home practices from the perspectives of stakeholders involved in Brazilian Higher Education. Based on the premise of Filippetti, Frenz, and Ietto-Gillies (2011, p. 439), who argue that "the connection between innovation and internationalization has a strong theoretical basis," the study explored the possibility of exploring the Brazilian context to identify innovative internationalization actions considered best practices. The text also considers the premise of Buckner and Stein (2020, p. 163), who argue that identifying best practices for internationalization is a complex process. In light of these two perspectives, the data collected demonstrate that these are not exactly best practices, but rather possible practices that make institutional sense and represent a necessary shift in the internationalization process. This is a robust study involving 70 public, state, and federal higher education institutions located in 23 Brazilian states. The analysis was primarily qualitative, involving the international relations directorates of the participating institutions, as well as the heads of international relations offices, faculty, administrative staff, and office staff. They responded to a semi-structured questionnaire that included questions related to institutional concepts of innovation and innovative internationalization practices within their own institutions. This analysis can contribute to the short- and long-term planning that several Brazilian higher education institutions should develop to advance their internationalization processes. the research was approved by CEP UFU under CAAE 39363120.5.0000.5152