Open Call “Privilege and Power in International Partnerships: A Critical Look at Partnerships, Alliances and Networks”
International partnerships, alliances, consortia, networks, and agreements are essential for advancing global education, serving as a critical conduit for collaboration, innovation, and cross-cultural understanding. International education is, after all, built on a foundation of relationship building, nurturing, and sustainability. However, these relationships often reflect and perpetuate underlying systems of privilege and power, raising important questions about equity, inclusion, and fairness.
We invite submissions that critically explore the power dynamics, privilege, and influence of alliances and networks within higher education partnerships. Do international partnerships and alliances create equitable access to global opportunities?
This special issue seeks to address these crucial questions:
- How can international partnerships be strategically structured in a way that is equitable and inclusive? What strategies have proven effective?
- How innovative are alliances in practice, and what do they contribute to internationalisation?
- For institutions outside these alliances and partnerships, what strategies can be used to develop a sustainable and impactful network of partners? Should they focus on bilateral or multilateral partnerships, join global networks, or seek smaller, regionally focused collaborations?
- How can partnerships be sustained over time, and what unintended consequences should leaders and practitioners consider as they assess and expand their international networks?
- What does it mean to build a truly inclusive portfolio of international partners, and how can institutions balance the scales of privilege and power in their approach?
We welcome a range of critical perspectives that go beyond the conventional success narratives, focusing on challenges, overlooked issues, and untold aspects of international partnerships. We aim to foster dialogue that includes all angles on the role of privilege and power in the current landscape of higher education partnerships.