From Mobility to Inclusive Internationalization: Policy–Practice Gaps in South Korean Higher Education

Abstract

This study examines how the internationalization of higher education has developed in South Korea and how national and institutional ambitions are translated into academic practice. It draws on policy and scholarly documents and semi-structured interviews with four expert informants from public and private universities, including current and former deans of international affairs. The interview material was thematically analyzed across three domains: research, student learning and mobility, and faculty participation. The findings identify four interconnected tensions. First, financial incentives support publication, conference participation, and mobility, but access and continuity vary across institutions. Second, English-medium instruction is promoted more rapidly than faculty and students are prepared or supported to adopt it. Third, international research collaboration is valued but often lacks durable administrative and funding structures. Fourth, online and home-campus approaches remain underused despite their potential to broaden participation and reduce dependence on physical mobility. Across these themes, participants described a persistent misalignment between policy targets and academic needs. The study argues for a shift from activity- and mobility-based indicators toward inclusive, sustained, and context-sensitive internationalization. It recommends multi-year support for collaboration, stronger faculty development and language assistance, wider use of virtual exchange, and more flexible regulation of joint curricula, degrees, and credit recognition.