A comparative analysis of the internationalization of higher education policies in China and Mexico: from similar beginnings to diverse results

The internationalization of higher education (IHE) has been affecting countries, regions, and institutions worldwide, and it is being studied from diverse perspectives and theoretical backgrounds. However, a comparative analysis of the historical evolution of policies developed aimed at IHE in Chinese and Mexican educational systems from a macro-social perspective is still pending, and this study examines it. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the People’s Republic of China and the United Mexican States initiated both the reform of their economic model for a free market (Gallagher & Shafaeddin, 2010) and the process of internationalization of their higher education (Hu & Fan, 2020) for it to provide them with the high qualified personnel required for economic productivity and international competitiveness. Nevertheless, four and a half decades away the results are very different: China is the second largest economy in the world and has two universities in the top twenty worldwide and seven in the first hundred (THE, 2024), while Mexico is the 12th economy listed and is its best-ranked university in the distant 601-800 position.

This qualitative comparative study aims to understand the main similarities and differences in the IHE policies developed by China and Mexico in the 1970s – 2024 period, by analyzing scholarly publications and official documents and statements from both countries. The world-systems analysis perspective (Wallerstein, 1976, 2004) is used to understand better how the capitalist world- economy constrains and enables Eastern and Western countries. In this regard, the world-systems analysis helps to situate the phenomena under examination and produce a strengthened policy analysis. The research questions are as follows: what are the key similarities and differences between the historical development of IHE policies in both countries? How do their being semiperipheral states influence such development and results? What are the key national aspects to consider when analyzing IHE policies in semiperipheral states?

This paper will contribute to the panel by shedding light on how East and West advance IHE. It explains the foremost stages in the historical development of policies aimed at IHE in both countries, followed by a comparison highlighting the main similarities and differences. The findings highlight crucial political and economic factors when analyzing IHE policies, particularly the significance of the political regime type and the centralization in policy design and decision-making, as well as the country’s position in the world global economy. Finally, the paper discusses on the challenges both countries will face in the upcoming years.