Internationalize without ever losing the essence: self-assessment as the axis of internationalization in education graduate programs

Abstract

This theoretical-analytical article examines the intrinsic relationship between self-assessment processes and internationalization policies in Graduate Programs in Education (PPGE) in Brazil, in light of the guidelines established by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes) for the 2025–2028 evaluation cycle. It argues that, for internationalization to be effective and sustainable, it must go beyond the quantitative metrics of mobility and academic production, grounding itself in a continuous self-assessment process capable of preserving and valuing the local-regional vocation of each program. The title, inspired by Che Guevara’s well-known maxim, reflects the tension between global pressures for excellence and the social and political responsibility of universities toward the contexts in which they are embedded. Using as a case study the guidelines of a Graduate Program in Education with strong regional engagement, the article analyzes how self-assessment can serve as a strategic mechanism for an internationalization process that promotes “glocalization,” articulating global and local dimensions and strengthening research with social and educational impact in its area of influence.