The International Office: An Analysis

A Belgian Case Study

By analysing how administrative departments work in three French-speaking universities in Belgium, we can identify - beyond specific organisational choices - a few key factors in common. Different International Offices (IOs) exist within the same legislative context, which means that their universities have the same sources of funding, but much can be learned from the variety of solutions they offer. We will describe key factors of efficiency by presenting the evolution of the IO's missions, then through a more in-depth analysis of their main categories of activities and the resulting administrative organisation. The actual processes implemented in the three universities illustrate various approaches to centralising or de-centralising international activities, both to faculties and to other departments. This analysis includes a description of the various administrative structures and concludes by identifying common features, all of which can make a valuable contribution to the reflections led by university IOs.