The winners from internationalisation: a comparative analysis of four UK universities

Based on Ayoubi suggestions in (INTED, 2010) for studies exploring the outcomes of international partnerships of four UK universities which have been examined in early studies by Ayoubi (2006 and 2009), and on the M4O approach of studying international partnerships developed by Ayoubi (2008), this study explores the main outcomes of international institutional partnerships at the selected four UK universities. Similarly to previous studies done by Ayoubi, the study results are based on twenty-four interviews with senior and very senior university managers from four UK leading universities. According to interviewees, the results show that international partnerships in the four UK universities would achieve gains and benefits for both staff, students, and for the whole university. Most interviewees referred to gains related to student experience, and increasing profile and brand name recognition of the university. The study develops a model of individual-institutional gains from internationalisation. The individual gains, whether staff or student gains and the institutional gains highlight, in terms of strategy evaluation, four styles of international strategy evaluation for university managers. The four styles are: Realistic Strategy, Institutional Gains-Reconsideration Style, Individual Gains-Reconsideration Style, and Unrealistic Strategy. The model would complement the previous models developed by the author. However, the results of this study and the previous studies were based on interviews with administrators at these universities where students and academic staff are not part of the research process. Therefore, future research would be of great importance taking into consideration the comparative views of students, administrators as well as academic staff.