Call for Special Issue

RETHINKING INTERNATIONALISATION FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION: POLICIES, PRACTICES AND PARTNERSHIPS

Rationale and context

Internationalisation has become a defining pillar of contemporary higher education. In this context, the International Conference on Internationalisation and Sustainability in Higher Education (ICIS2026), co-hosted by Vietnam Japan University (Vietnam), Deakin University (Australia), and Waseda University (Japan), and its associated Special Issue in the Journal of Contemporary Educational Policies and Practices (JCEPP) (Ministry of Education and Training), aim to advance cutting-edge discussions on how internationalisation can align with sustainability imperatives. As a multifaceted process, internationalisation encompasses cross-border research collaborations, student and staff mobility, internationalised curricula, and the rapid expansion of Transnational Education (TNE). These processes are widely recognised for driving academic excellence, fostering global competencies, and strengthening innovation networks worldwide (de Wit & Altbach, 2021; Knight, 2015).

Concurrently, higher education institutions (HEIs) face increasing pressure to lead global responses to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Leal Filho, 2020; Sterling et al., 2013). Universities are expected not only to provide human capital for economic development but also to promote environmental responsibility, social equity, and institutional resilience (de Wit & Altbach, 2021; Tran et al., 2023). However, a critical tension has emerged: traditional internationalisation strategies, often grounded in physical mobility, market-driven competition, and “brain drain” dynamics, frequently conflict with sustainability imperatives.

Amid shifting geopolitical landscapes and tightening migration policies, the academic community must critically reassess both the “why” and “how” of international engagement. There is a growing need to move beyond growth-at-all-costs models toward a more balanced and responsible framework of Sustainable Internationalisation.

Against this backdrop, ICIS2026, to be held on June 2–3, 2026, in Hanoi, Vietnam, serves as a platform to convene scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to explore these pressing issues. Further information is available at: https://icis.vju.vnu.edu.vn

To further advance state-of-the-art knowledge for both international and national audiences, the ICIS2026 Scientific Committee collaborates with JCEPP to produce a Special Issue. This Issue addresses key questions at the intersection of internationalisation and sustainability in higher education. It invites contributions that examine how leadership, governance, and policy frameworks shape sustainable internationalisation strategies in the context of evolving geopolitical and migration dynamics. It also encourages research on internationalised curricula and pedagogical innovations that foster global and sustainability competencies.

In addition, the Special Issue seeks to explore opportunities and challenges associated with student and staff mobility, including equitable access, environmental implications, and impacts on host communities. Contributions are also welcomed on the sustainability of global academic partnerships and transnational education initiatives, as well as innovative and ethical approaches to internationalisation that support the SDGs.

Scope and contribution

The Special Issue brings together emerging and established scholarship on the nexus of internationalisation and sustainability in higher education, including selected papers from ICIS2026. In addition to conference papers, the Issue welcomes external submissions that critically examine diverse dimensions of internationalisation and sustainability in higher education. The Special Issue aims to highlight scholarship, particularly from and with the Global South, that advances contextually grounded, ethnically informed, and socially responsive perspectives on internationalisation and sustainability nexus.

Focus and thematic areas

This Special Issue invites conceptual and empirical contributions that explore this underexplored intersection. We seek research that interrogates how internationalisation can be redesigned to support inclusive, ethical, and ecologically sound education systems.

We welcome submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

1. Governance, policy, and institutional sustainability

Analyses of leadership, governance structures, policy frameworks, and external drivers (e.g., rankings and the SDGs) that shape the alignment or misalignment between internationalisation and sustainability agendas.

2. Curriculum, pedagogy and learning for sustainable futures

Explorations of how internationalised curricula, innovative teaching models and transnational learning experiences contribute to sustainability competencies, global citizenship and student learning outcomes.

3. Equity, ethics and global partnerships

Research examining power asymmetries, inclusion, and global justice in international higher education, including the dynamics of North–South collaboration, ethical partnerships, and equitable knowledge production.

4. Inclusive mobility and access to international learning

Research exploring the experiences, motivations, and outcomes of student mobility and exchange programs, including short-term exchanges, international internships, and study abroad, inclusive pathways for underrepresented groups.

5. Digital & hybrid innovation

The role of technology in fostering "internationalisation at home" and reducing the carbon footprint of TNE.

Publication process

The qualified papers from the international conference that align with the theme of the Special Issue will be peer-reviewed and invited to contribute to this special issue. The Special Issue is expected to include 15-20 articles.

Submission guidelines

Full Article

• Manuscripts must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere.
• Language of submission for the Special Issue in JCEPP: English.
• Length of full papers: 6,000 words (including references).
• Formatting and structure should follow the journal guidelines: https://jcepp.org//index.php/journal/submission-guidelines.

Timeline

• Full manuscript submission: April 30, 2026
• Publication: Volume 9, SI2, 2026

Full manuscripts must be submitted via the ‘Submit’ button on the journal’s website.

Co-guest editors:

Dr. Phuong Luong, PhD, VNU Vietnam Japan University, Hanoi, Vietnam

Dr. Christian Gedschold, PhD, University of Applied Social Science Berlin (EHB), Germany

Guest editors’ bios

Dr Luong Phuong

Dr. Luong Phuong is a Program Director of Global Development and Innovation Program (International Studies) and lecturer at VNU Vietnam Japan University, Hanoi, Vietnam. She is a former Fulbright Fellow and has over two decades of experience in higher education, education policy research, and international development, with expertise in intercultural competence, education equity, human rights, and skills for sustainable development. Dr. Luong has a strong international publication profile, with peer-reviewed articles and chapters in leading journals and publishers such as Teaching and Teacher Education, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, World Development, Compare, Studies in Higher Education, Asian Pacific Journal of Education, Springer, Routledge, and UNESCO. She has also served as editor and co-editor of scholarly monographs and edited volumes, demonstrating hands-on experience in coordinating authors, managing peer review, and ensuring academic quality and coherence across publications. Her editorial and reviewing experience includes long-standing service as a reviewer and reviewing board member for international and national journals, including the European Journal of Educational Research, Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning, Journal of Work-Applied Management, and the Vietnam Journal of Educational Sciences. Dr. Luong has led and contributed to numerous large-scale, internationally funded research projects.

Dr Christian Gedschold

As a philosopher and academic fellow for qualitative social research, Dr. Gedschold is a Lecturer and Researcher at the Evangelische Hochschule Berlin (EHB) and the Pädagogische Hochschule Ludwigsburg (PH), specializing in the internationalization of cultural education, social work, and migration. He participates in cross-border academic exchange, frequently co-leading Trinational Blended Intensive Programmes that explore social work from an international perspective. Dr. Gedschold has active research ties to Vietnam, having recently led ethnographic study programs in Northern Vietnam focusing on ethnic minorities, as well as collaborative workshops with practitioners in Hanoi.

Bringing robust editorial and scholarly publishing experience to this Special Issue, Dr. Gedschold previously served for ten years at the German Central Institute for Social Issues (DZI). There, he was the head of the social literature department and an editor for the established academic journal Soziale Arbeit (Social Work). In addition to his role as Guest Editor, he is a Session Chair at the upcoming ICIS2026 conference.