Meaningful internationalization towards sustainable partnerships: the case of a Hungarian university

Purpose This study aims to examine what constitutes meaningful internationalization and sustainable partnerships in the context of an Eastern European, non-capital-city university. It explores how international partners conceptualize partnership value, how Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) shape collaboration and which partnership modalities are considered both impactful and feasible in a region facing political, financial and linguistic constraints. Design/methodology/approach This research draws on four in-person focus group discussions with 16 international partners and a collaboration workshop involving nine senior representatives from long-standing partner institutions. Using inductive thematic analysis, the study identifies partnership motivators, SDG priorities and preferred collaboration formats, paying special attention to the alignment and misalignment between individual- and institution-level perspectives. Findings Results show that meaningful internationalization is grounded primarily in personal relationships, trust and shared practice, which often precede and determine the success of institutional agreements. SDG4 (Quality education) emerged as the central anchor for partnership development, linked to joint curriculum activities, pedagogical exchange, inclusive learning environments and continuous staff development. Partners favored short-term, structured and regionally proximate collaboration formats, such as BIPs, COIL projects, summer schools, student contests and doctoral-level cooperation, which were perceived as sustainable, accessible and high-impact. A notable gap surfaced between the priorities of administrative staff – who emphasize functional capacity building – and high-level decision-makers, whose focus remains primarily on academic and strategic objectives. Research limitations/implications A pool of participants was drawn from an already narrow circle of mostly close university contacts, which could affect the outcomes of the research. Practical implications Universities can enhance partnership sustainability by embedding non-academic capacity-building activities into formal agreements; adopting short-term, repeatable and inclusive mobility formats; and diversifying funding sources beyond major international programs. These steps can support resilient, high-quality partnership ecosystems even in contexts with fluctuating political or financial support. Social implications Besides stakeholders, social groups of students can benefit from the results of this study by constituting potential target audiences of internationalization practices of these universities. Originality/value This study contributes a micro-level model of meaningful and sustainable internationalization within a politically and financially constrained regional context. It highlights how sustainability in higher education partnerships extends beyond environmental considerations to include relational, economic and governance dimensions. The findings offer actionable guidance for institutions seeking to strengthen international partnerships through people-centered practices, regionally grounded mobility formats and intentional SDG alignment.