As the higher education sector prepares to convene at the 28th Annual International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA) Conference in KuGompo City (formerly East London) in the Eastern Cape later this year, internationalisation finds itself at a defining and deeply contested moment of transition.
Across the world, universities are navigating an increasingly complex environment shaped by geopolitical uncertainty, shifting migration regimes, technological disruption, widening inequality, and renewed debates about the role of higher education in society.
Against this backdrop, the 2026 conference theme, ‘Rewriting the Agenda: Internationalisation through a Global South lens’, is timely and necessary. It reflects a growing recognition that internationalisation can no longer be approached as a neutral, technical, or inherited project. Rather, it is deeply entangled with questions of power, mobility, equity, institutional autonomy, inclusivity, knowledge production, and global influence.
The global higher education landscape is undergoing significant transformation. Traditional centres of academic power, historically concentrated in the Global North, are being reshaped by the emergence of a more multipolar world in which the Global South is increasingly asserting intellectual, economic and political agency.
At the same time, global mobility systems are becoming more contested. Immigration policies are tightening in several countries, while public discourse on migration has become increasingly polarised, drawing universities into broader debates about borders, labour markets, identity and national priorities.
Careful engagement, understanding required
South Africa is not insulated from these developments. Recent public discussions concerning the employment of internationally recruited academics have brought renewed scrutiny to questions of academic mobility, institutional autonomy, immigration compliance, and transformation within higher education. While these conversations are legitimate and necessary, they require careful, evidence-informed engagement and a balanced understanding of the sector’s broader imperatives.
Internationalisation should not be reduced to simplistic binaries or framed narrowly through the lens of international appointments alone. Universities operate within established national legislative and policy frameworks, including immigration regulations and the National Policy Framework for the Internationalisation of Higher Education in South Africa under the stewardship of the Department of Higher Education and Training.
Institutions are, therefore, required to balance regulatory compliance and national development priorities with the advancement of research collaboration, academic exchange, and meaningful global engagement.
At the same time, international academic mobility remains a critical component of globally engaged higher education systems. Research collaboration, postgraduate supervision, specialised teaching expertise, innovation ecosystems, and institutional partnerships increasingly depend on transnational and cross-border knowledge exchange. In many disciplines, particularly in science, health sciences and emerging research fields, global collaboration is not an additional feature of academic work, but an integral part of it.
International exchanges generate benefits
Importantly, this mobility is not one-directional. South African students and academics actively participate in international exchange programmes, collaborative research initiatives and global academic networks. Internationalisation must, therefore, be understood, not only in terms of who enters the system, but also in terms of how South Africa participates in the global knowledge community.
These exchanges generate intellectual, cultural and developmental benefits that extend well beyond individual institutions.
Higher education is moving away from traditional, one-directional models of engagement. Across Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East, universities are reimagining internationalisation through more contextually grounded and mutually beneficial approaches.
Intra-African and South-South collaborations are expanding, regional research networks are strengthening, and digital and blended mobility models are widening participation. Institutions are prioritising partnerships linked to climate resilience, public health, sustainable development, artificial intelligence, innovation and social justice.
Within this evolving context, the Global South is no longer merely participating in internationalisation. It is actively reshaping it.
Opportunity for debate
This reframing sits at the heart of the IEASA 2026 conference. The programme creates space for critical and constructive engagement on the politics of internationalisation, the ethics of mobility, and the future of global engagement in an unequal world.
This is reflected in contributions such as Professor Jonathan Jansen’s keynote address on academic xenophobia and the geopolitics of higher education, which highlights the tensions between institutional ambition, national priorities, and global collaboration.
Sessions such as ‘Integrity Without Exclusion: Building trust-based mobility ecosystems in an era of immigration crisis’ engage directly with the operational and policy complexities shaping mobility systems today. Broader discussions on institutional autonomy, race, epistemic justice, and Global South agency invite the sector to interrogate entrenched assumptions about internationalisation and belonging.
These engagements are intended, not to provoke division, but to foster thoughtful, meaningful and intentional reflection on how higher education can remain globally connected while also being socially responsive, nationally aligned, and ethically grounded.
Moving beyond critique
Equally important, the conference moves beyond critique towards reconstruction. Alongside these discussions, the programme foregrounds innovation, collaboration and practical institutional strategies. Sessions on Africa-led partnerships, knowledge diplomacy, digital internationalisation, student-centred mobility, multilingualism, and inclusive curriculum design highlight emerging approaches that prioritise reciprocity, relevance, impact, and principled internationalisation.
A significant shift emerging across the sector is the recognition that internationalisation is fundamentally developmental and integral to institutional positioning within the global arena. It is increasingly linked to graduate employability, research impact, skills development, innovation capacity and broader societal contribution.
Institutions are being challenged, not only to internationalise, but also to demonstrate how internationalisation contributes meaningfully to local communities, national priorities and continental advancement.
This is particularly relevant for South Africa. As the country continues to position itself as a continental hub for research and innovation, universities play a key role in advancing regional integration, strengthening African scholarship and producing globally relevant knowledge grounded in local contexts. In many respects, South Africa reflects broader global tensions in a microcosm, balancing transformation imperatives, resource constraints and global competitiveness within a rapidly evolving international landscape.
Responding to global disruption
The IEASA conference, therefore, represents more than a sector gathering. It is a platform for collective agenda-setting at a moment when the future direction of internationalisation is actively contested and redefined.
The challenge before the sector is not simply how to respond to global disruption, but how to shape new pathways forward with clarity, balance, and purpose. This requires moving beyond narrow understandings of internationalisation towards collaborative and evidence-informed approaches that align institutional realities with broader societal goals.
As universities continue to navigate increasingly complex geopolitical and policy environments, one point remains clear: internationalisation cannot be sustained through isolation, fear or fragmentation. Its future depends on the ability of institutions, policymakers, practitioners and students to engage constructively, think strategically, and build partnerships grounded in mutual respect and shared benefit.
In rewriting the agenda, the task before the sector is not only to respond to change, but to actively shape the future of internationalisation with intention, courage and collective responsibility. This moment calls for a shift beyond reactive approaches towards a more coherent, inclusive and strategically grounded vision for global engagement – one that safeguards academic collaboration, strengthens institutional resilience, advances African scholarship, and affirms the Global South as an equal and influential contributor to the global knowledge order.
The responsibility now rests with all of us – universities, policymakers, practitioners, and partners – to act with clarity and purpose. What is at stake is, not only the future of internationalisation, but also the capacity of higher education to contribute to more just, connected and globally relevant societies.
The choices made now will determine whether internationalisation merely reflects the world as it is or contributes meaningfully to the world we seek to build.
The IEASA conference takes place from 25-28 August 2026.
* Dr Normah Zondo is the president of the International Education Association of South Africa and the executive director of the corporate relations division at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Dr Tasmeera Singh is the deputy president of IEASA, and the director of international relations and SANORD at the University of the Western Cape. Dr Angie Magabane is IEASA’s treasurer and the director of internationalisation and partnerships at the University of South Africa.
**This article is a commentary. Commentary articles are the opinion of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of University World News.
***This article first appeared here on 4 June 2026 on University World News
