Regarding the internationalization in Chilean universities: is English language learning the dominant orientation in institutional strategic plans?

Abstract

This research analyzes the institutional strategic plans (Planes Estratégicos Institucionales, PEI) of the universities that belong to the Consortium of Universities affiliated to the Council of Rectors of Universities of Chile in order to describe and categorize, in terms of frequency, the predominant orientation of these plans concerning the internationalization process. A previously calibrated instrument called Internationalization Verification Criteria is used. The scores obtained are used to establish three categories, which are arranged in hierarchical order, to describe the internationalization orientations of the plans currently operating at the time of this research. The results lead to the conclusion that the dimensions related to the learning of a second language constitute a minor orientation in the three categories defined, with mobility as the most predominant dimension in all categories.