Looking back to move forward : internationalization at Qatar University

Abstract

Calls to “re-think” and “re-define” internationalization of higher education (IoHE) have been increasingly noted in the literature (Heleta & Chasi, 2022). This article takes the institutional archives of Qatar University to look back and consider what the past could mean for the future of internationalization on the campus. I highlight the importance of studying the context of Qatar University in which internationalization unfolds, including its institutional history and geopolitical surroundings. By examining the historical, cultural, and social contexts/networks in which QU is embedded, I argue that QU has been portrayed as an international project from the onset, although one motivated by Third-Worldist, Islamic, and Arab notions of solidarity and, equally importantly, one critical of Western hegemony. While I am cautious of romanticizing the past, I discuss how looking backward helps IoHE scholars think less of internationalization as a fixed phenomenon and moves the goal toward offering a more plural understanding of what internationalization can mean in different contexts. Through this case study of QU, I contribute to efforts within this critical strand of research to recenter IoHE conversations from “Euro-American-centric internationalisation definitions, strategies, policies, approaches, and practices” to other parts of the world (Heleta & Chasi, 2022, p. 2).