Context Mapping
Where are we working from?
Staff Capacity and Institutional Support
Who carries the work?
Identify the staff knowledge, workload, recognition and institutional conditions needed for internationalisation.
Why this matters
Internationalisation is often carried by staff through teaching, networks, languages, research, professional experience, mentoring and informal support. Staff diversity can enrich internationalisation, but it is not enough on its own. Programmes also need time, training, administrative support, workload recognition and institutional alignment. If internationalisation depends only on individual commitment, it can be fragile. When staff leave or become overloaded, activities may disappear.
Key questions
- Who currently carries internationalisation work?
- What languages, networks and cultural knowledge exist in the team?
- What capacities are missing or under-supported?
- Is internationalisation recognised in workload or planning?
- Are administrative teams connected to curriculum and support?
- What happens if a key person leaves?
Notes & Resources
This section brings together resources, examples, references and practical ideas that may help you explore the topic further. Use what is relevant to your context, and adapt it as needed.
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Explore what institutions need to support transnational staff development
This report examines the conditions needed for effective staff development across institutions and borders, including resources, institutional policies, organisational values and the recognition given to learning, teaching and internationalisation.
Staff development and transnational collaboration · European University Association · 2026 -
Consider how staff development becomes part of institutional culture
Drawing on experiences across European higher education, this report explores how professional development can move beyond isolated activities and become embedded through institutional strategy, incentives, leadership and support.
Staff development in learning and teaching at European universities: Results from the STAFF-DEV focus groups · EUA · 2025 -
Ask what happens when internationalisation relies on individual commitment
Research on European University Alliances shows how international collaboration can generate innovation and shared learning, but also how activities become fragile when they depend on additional or unrecognised staff labour rather than being embedded in workload, budgets and institutional systems.
A paradigm shift in European transnational collaboration: European university alliances as communities of practice · Palmowski & Angouri · 2025the article is Open Access
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Position internationalisation as an institution-wide responsibility
A framework for considering internationalisation across teaching, research, collaboration, staff development and institutional strategy, helping move responsibility beyond individual champions or isolated initiatives.
Framework for Internationalising Higher Education · Advance HE
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