BRAIN BLAST: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF UNITED STATES HIGHER EDUCATION INTERNATIONALIZATION STRATEGIES IN CORE, SEMI-PERIPHERY, AND PERIPHERY COUNTRIES

Abstract

In light of the growing interest in internationalization, this thesis investigates how the United States utilizes the Fulbright Program as a vessel for higher education internationalization. I combined the World-Systems Theory with a framework for types of internationalization to analyze how the United States, as a core country, engages in HE internationalization. First, I hypothesize that the United States does, in fact, engage in status-discrimination when it comes to HE internationalization strategies. I test to this by examining the composition of Scholars to Visiting Scholars under the Fulbright Program. Second, I hypothesize that the United States employs an inward-oriented HE internationalization strategy when interacting with other core nations through the Fulbright Scholars Program. In contrast, it also employs an outward-oriented internationalization strategy in relation to periphery countries through the Fulbright Visiting Scholars Program. I investigate this hypothesis by breaking down the two Fulbright Programs by grant type and project field. I find that the United States engages in more inward-oriented HE internationalization when the target country approaches core status. However, I still partially reject my second hypothesis, because the data shows that the strategies are produced through different combinations of program and grant type – not simply whether it is a Scholar or Visiting Scholar.