International Association of Universities
Internationalization Stratergies Advisory Service (ISAS)
The IAU offers the Internationalization Strategies Advisory Service (ISAS) to institutional leaders and teams interested in developing or reviewing their internationalization policy, strategy and various programs. ISAS is available to all HEIs, though IAU Members pay a reduced fee.
Higher Education Institutions around the world are finding that internationalization can no longer be a sideline in the overall strategic planning process or policy development. It is central to the definition of a high quality institution and an important consideration for IAU Members. Through its Internationalization Strategies Advisory Service, the International Association of Universities (IAU) can provide expert advice, up-to-date information and recommend approaches based on best practice around the world.
IAU has become renowned for its longstanding history of promoting, studying and documenting trends in internationalization of higher education and for sharing this knowledge globally. As IAU Members and others seek to increase the level of preparedness of their students for a more globalized world, to offer new mobility opportunities for faculty and staff, to review their curriculum for improved internationalization ‘at home’; to strengthen their strategic research alliances or to develop marketing approaches to attract more exchange or fee paying international students, they have asked IAU for assistance so that they can benefit from the best thinking and practice from institutions around the world.
To respond to this need, IAU launched this Advisory Service (ISAS) for institutional internationalization planning and development.
What is ISAS?
In a word, the goal of the ISAS service is to help the university clarify and refine its internationalization strategy. The approach is flexible, and can be tailored specifically to your institution’s needs should you have particular issues that you would like to probe or a particular timetable you would like to observe.
The engagement generally consists of a review of goals, activities, policies, and management structures for internationalization conducted by the institution with guidance along the way as required or requested (through phone and email consultation) and a Self-Assessment guide provided by IAU. Typically, a broadly representative working group is formed in the participating institution to conduct the review and write up a self-assessment report based on the findings. This aspect of the review generally takes between 6 months and an academic year to complete and write up.
Upon completion of the Self-Assessment review, IAU proposes a Panel of Experts who will visit your institution. The panel will be composed of three international experts from all regions of the world; it will include an individual who is familiar with your country and its higher education system. The panel is approved by your university. The panel spends two to three days on campus and meets with as many people and stakeholders in your institution as possible. At the conclusion of the visit, the panel provides preliminary feedback on your institution’s strategies and advice for future directions.
Following the visit, the Panel prepares a report including recommendations for action. The overall process takes eight to twelve months from start to finish allowing ample time for an interactive and inclusive process at the university, involving leadership, faculty, staff, and students.
The fee for the service includes the following:
• An initial visit to meet with the relevant people at your university to launch the process (I would undertake this visit)
• At least monthly phone calls (or as needed) with the chair and/or members of the working group and email consultations as you prepare the self-study
• Visit by panel of experts
• Report of the panel’s findings including recommendations for future actions
The fee does not include the travel and accommodation costs of the panel members who take part in the site visit or my initial visit (for more information on fees, please contact IAU at iau@iau-aiu.net)
All reports and written material prepared as part of this Advisory Service will be confidential and remain the property of the institution. The institution will have sole discretion to publish or disseminate these reports.
Who can make use of ISAS?
ISAS is designed to be useful to any Higher Education Institution committed to internationalization, large or small, in any part of the world, interested in developing, assessing, or improving its internationalization policy and plan. The overall goal is to help the institution reach its internationalization objectives.
Membership in IAU is not a requirement to use this Advisory Service, though priority and discounted fees will be offered to IAU Members.
Working with the IAU Advisory Service can help institutions to:
• Develop a new internationalization strategy or review and refine an existing one;
• Enhance the visibility of institutional goals and commitment to internationalization;
• Align internationalization with the wider institutional strategic planning process;
• Create institution-wide synergy and coherence among disparate education and research internationalization strategies;
• Assess the strengths and weakness of the existing strategies, organizational approaches, programs and activities used to reach internationalization objectives;
• Mobilize a more coherent institutional approach to developing internationalization activities;
• Demonstrate the overall importance assigned to internationalization by the institution.
Where can I find more information, and how can my institution apply?
Further information on the ISAS programme can be found in the ISAS brochure .
Requests for information can be sent to the association throughout the year. Interested institutions are invited to write to Mr. Ross Hudson, IAU Programme Officer at r.hudson@iau-aiu.net
Discussions about scope, timelines and other modalities will determine the next steps. ISAS Fee.
The ISAS service is available to all IAU Members and non-Member Higher Education Institutions on a fee basis. The fees are set annually and are non-inclusive of international travel for site visit by Expert Panel. They are established in accordance with the categories used for IAU membership fees, applying lower fees for institutions in low income countries than for those in high income countries.
To learn about the fees, please contact IAU at iau@iau-aiu.net .