THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN RIO GRANDE DO SUL FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF INSTITUTIONAL

Abstract The phenomenon of internationalization of higher education is widely recognized as a pressing need in a globalized context. Consequently, numerous countries and institutions have dedicated themselves to establishing internationalization policies, given their strategic relevance in promoting knowledge. This study investigated the perspectives of institutional actors in relation to the internationalization process of higher education institutions in Rio Grande do Sul. Using a predominantly quantitative approach, 57 respondents participated in this study, which, in addition to utilizing questionnaires with closed and open questions for data collection, analyzed the content of official strategic documents of the institutions investigated, based on the six axes of the ACE Model of Comprehensive Internationalization. In the Brazilian scenario, the internationalization of higher education still lacks clear guidelines from the public authorities to guide its implementation in institutions. Although institutional actors recognize the importance of internationalization, there is a perception that it is still conducted in isolation by a restricted group of individuals, predominantly associated with postgraduate studies. Several barriers are identified for comprehensive internationalization, including the lack of continuing training programs for teachers, challenges in implementing evaluation processes, the scarcity of internationalized courses in disciplines, and the absence of metrics that allow evaluation of learning outcomes.