Strategic Alignment and Implementation Gaps in Higher Education Internationalization: A Case Analysis of a Philippine State University

Guided by national policies that espoused coherent directions for higher education internationalization in the Philippines, universities put up front-loosely related policy-guided practices to what actually took place on the ground. The study investigated the implementation of major documents on internationalization in higher education by a Philippine State University, approved and issued by Commission on Higher Education (CHED) based according from guidelines to course offerings for Transnational Higher Education, Guidelines To Establish Foreign Transnational Higher Education Institutions and Programs/Activities For Student Exchange Program Mobility Guidlines; Open and Distance learning (higher degree); Endorsement Of Travel Abroad. To evaluate the alignment of practices at State University with national-level policy, we analyzed evidence through a case study that included preliminary analysis via: (1) internal audits for institutional compliance with frameworks; (2) self-assessment efforts and/or stakeholder interviews to assess problems across multiple levels. A compliance matrix was created to determine adherence rates with the thematic analysis of the interview data, highlighting areas where participants shared common ground or differed in approach. The findings give confirmation of the advances that State University has achieved in terms of mobility and attunement to regional context, yet some areas (i.e., formal transnational education programs or open and distance learning as a sector altogether) remain unattended.