Document Type : Original Article
Authors
- . Habibolah Rezaei
- . Asadolah Mosavi 1
- . Alireza Yousefi 2
- . Bagher Larijani 3
- . Nima Rezaei 4
- . Reza Dehnavieh 5
- . Peyman Adibi 6
1 Department of Medical Education, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences
2 Medical Education Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Science
3 Medical Ethics and History of Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences
4 Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Molecular Immunology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
5 Research Center for Modeling in Health, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
6 Integrative Functional Gastroenterology Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Internationalization of higher education involves mutual exchanges as well as a
consensus based. Political, economic, sociocultural, and scientific reasons recommend the need to
move toward the internationalization of higher education. The current study highlights the strengths
of the internationalization of Iran’s medical sciences education.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive exploratory study was carried out in 2016–2017 in
Iran. The techniques used for data collection included review of articles, interview with subject experts,
and the focus group and the nominal technique group to explore the views of various stakeholders.
The data were analyzed with the qualitative content analysis method.
RESULTS: The inductive qualitative content analysis of all data generated 13 categories and 88
subcategories. The categories were geographical and geostrategic position of Iran; the historical,
cultural, religious, and tourist attractions of Iran; the security of Iran; priority to internationalization
policies and programs in Iran’s macro plans; the existence of regulations, laws, and approvals for
international activities; same language with neighboring and regional countries; the low cost of
studying and living in Iran; the ability of Iranian faculty members and experts for internationalization;
the background, reputation, and the progress of medical education, health, and care in Iran; the
cheaper forces of Iran and their welcome to foreigners; the existence of motivation, zeal, and belief
for internationalization; the existence of proper infrastructure; and the existence of a suitable capacity
for internationalization.
CONCLUSIONS: Iran has some positive points that can be used to promote international activities,
provided it does some good advertising in this regard. It is suggested that the challenges, opportunities,
and threats to Iran’s internationalization should be collated from the perspective of the various
stakeholders.
Keywords
Internationalization or globalization of higher education. J Educ
Health Promot 2018; 7:8.
2. Knight J. Internationalization: Elements and Checkpoints.
Reports – Evaluative. Canadian Bureau for International
Education (CBIE); 1994.
3. Knight J. Cross border education: An analytical framework
for program and provider mobility higher education. Higher
Education. Springer, Dordrecht, 2006: 345‑395.
4. Dehaghani AG, Mohamad JL, Jafari E. An analysis of the
localization and internationalization of university curriculum in
the age of globalization. Q J Cult Res 2012; 4:1‑24.
5. Gacel‑Ávila J. The internationalization of higher
education: A paradigm for global citizenry. J Stud Int Educ 2005;
9:121‑36.
6. Rezaei H, Yousefi A, Larijani B, Rezaei N, Adibi P. Road map
of Iran’s internationalization of medical sciences education:
Experience of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Iran J Med
Educ 2017; 17:125‑33.
7. Bangkok office. International Mobility of Students in Asia and
the Pacific. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization; 2013.
8. Siegmund J, Rawdon B, Ren C. 2016 Top Markets Report
Education: A Market Assessment Tool for U.S. Exporters: U.S.
Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration,
Industry and Analysis; 2016.
9. Payne S. Internationalization of Higher Education Services and
Institutional Partnerships; 2015.
10. Hearps R. Global trends and disruptors in international student
referrals [ANZA Workshop Melbourne]; 2016.
11. Alfaro L, Ketels C. Microeconomics of Competitiveness: Harvard
Business School; 2016.
12. HM Government. Industrial Strategy: Government and industry
in partnership; International Education–Global Growth and
Prosperity: An Accompanying Analytical Narrative; 2013.
13. Shao C. Japanese Policies and International Students in Japan.
17th Biennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association of
Australia in Melbourne; 2008.
14. Arikawa S. Universities in Japan: Supporting Excellence: Japan
Committee of Universities for International Exchange; 2011.
15. Rivers D. Ideologies of internationalization and the treatment of
diversity with in Japanese higher education. J High Educ Policy
Manage 2010; 35:441‑54.
16. Khalid J, Ali AJ, Khaleel M, Islam S, Shu Q F .
Towards Global Knowledge Society: A SWOT analysis of higher
education of Pakistan in context of internationalization. J Bus
2017; 2:8‑15.
17. Sidhu GK, Kaur S. Enhancing global competence in higher
education: Malaysia’s strategic initiatives. In: Higher education in
the Asia‑Pacific. Springer, Dordrecht, 2011:219‑236.
18. Kaur H, Mahajan P. National versus international growth of
medical research of India: A case study. Scientometrics 2015;
105:973‑89.
19. Rezaei H, Yousefi A, Larijani B, DehnaviehR, Rezaei N, KazemiM,
et al. Iran’s international collaborative articles in medical sciences.
Med J Islam Repub Iran 2019; 33:84.
20. James K. International education: The concept, and its relationship
to intercultural education. J Stud Int Educ 2005; 4:313‑32.
21. KnightJ. Internationalization remodelled: Definitions, approaches
and rationales. J Stud Int Educ 2004; 8:5‑31.
22. De Wit H. Internationalization of higher education in the United
States of America and Europe: A historical, comparative, and
conceptual analysis. Greenwood Publishing Group, Amsterdam
2002.
23. Urban, Ewa L.; Palmer, Louann Bierlein. International
students as a resource for internationalization of higher
education. Journal of Studies in International Education, 2014,
18.4: 305‑324.
24. Jibeen T, Khan MA. Internationalization of higher education:
Potential benefits and costs. Int J Eval Res Educ 2015; 4:196‑9.
25. Lincoln YS, Guba EG. But is it rigorous? Trustworthiness and
authenticity in naturalistic evaluation. Naturalistic Eval 1986;
30:73‑84.
26. Cheikh WE. Productising Finnish education for export: The
barriers and enablers of internationalisation. A Multiple Case
Study: Fifteen Members of Future Learning. Finland: Aalto
University; 2015.
27. Razavian MT. Middle East. 1st ed. Tehran: Shahid Beheshti
University; 1980.
28. Beaumont P, Blake GH, Wagstaff M. The Middle East:
A Geographical Study. 2nd. New York: Halsted Press; 1988.
29. Faraji A. The geography of Muslim countries (secondary
education). Tehran: Iran Publishing Company; 1998.
30. Al‑RifaiRH, Majeed M, Qambar MA, Ibrahim A, AlYammahi KM,
Aziz F. Type 2 diabetes and pre‑diabetes mellitus: A systematic
review and meta‑analysis of prevalence studies in women of
childbearing age in the Middle East and North Africa, 2000‑2018.
Syst Rev 2019; 8:268.
31. Missildine K, Fountain R, Summers L, Gosselin K. Flipping the
classroom to improve student performance and satisfaction.
J Nurs Educ 2013; 52:597‑9.
32. Murphy R, Sharma N, editors. What Don’t We Know About
Interactive Lectures? Seminar Net; 2010.
33. Bayoumy Y, Browning N, Ghobari M. How Saudi Arabia’s War
in Yemen Has Made Al Qaeda Stronger and Richer; 2016.
34. Marsh HW. Students’ evaluations of university teaching:
Dimensionality, reliability, validity, potential biases and
usefulness. The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Higher
Education: An Evidence‑Based Perspective: Springer, Dordrecht;
2007: 319‑83.
35. Educational deputy of the Ministry of Health and
M e d i c a l E d u c a t i o n . S t r a t e g y f o r G e o g r a p h i c a l
Distribution of Higher Education of Health in the Islamic Republic
of Iran. 2nd ed. Tehran: Educational Deputy of the Ministry of
Health and Medical Education; 2015.
36. Educational Deputy of the Ministry of Health and Medical
Education. Evolution and Innovation Packages in Medical
Education. Tehran: Educational Deputy of the Ministry of Health
and Medical Education; 2015.
37. Supreme Council for Cultural Revolution. Comprehensive
Scientific Map of Country 2011. Available from: https://www.
msrt.ir/file/download/page/1488284345‑m01.pdf. [accessed
14 Dec 2019]
38. Harder NJ. Internationalization efforts in United States
community colleges: A comparative analysis of urban,
suburban, and rural institutions. Community Coll J Res 2010;
35:152‑64.
39. Jon JE, Lee JJ, Byun K. The emergence of a regional hub:
Comparing international student choices and experiences in
South Korea. High Educ 2014; 67:691‑710.
40. Bodycott P. Choosing a higher education study abroad
destination. What Mainland Chinese parents and students rate as important? J Res Int Educ 2009; 8:349‑73.
41. Shamsi Gooshki E, Pourabbasi A, Akbari H, Rezaei N,
Arab Kheradmand A, Kheiry Z, et al. Internationalization of
medical education in Iran: A way towards implementation of
the plans of development and innovation in medical education.
J Adv Med Educ Prof 2018; 6:43‑8.
42. Jiang N, Carpenter V. A case study of issues of strategy
implementation in internationalization of higher education. Int J
Educ Manag 2013; 27:4‑18.
43. Cape Coast University. Internationalization strategic plan
2015‑2020. Available from: https://ucc.edu.gh/sites/default/
files/cie_draft_strategic_plan.pdf [accessed 14 Dec 2019].
)