Why Digitalize? An Investigation of Virtual Internationalization Governance in German Higher Education

Based on a multimodal understanding of governance in German higher education, we aim to investigate the multiple objectives and factors that shape the digitalization of international higher education. We triangulate the findings of an analysis of 16 expert interviews with heads of international offices at German higher education institutions (HEIs) with the result of a document analysis of 133 internationalization strategies of German HEIs in order to address the following questions: Which are the main objectives of virtual internationalization in HE? Which factors shape the implementation of digital solutions in international higher education? How can we conceptualize the governance of virtual internationalization? We find that values-based and competition-related approaches often motivate HEIs to embrace digitalization. They include the aim to respond to societal challenges, such as the climate crisis or overcoming social inequalities, but also the objective to acquire funding, build and maintain fruitful cooperations, or attract high-performance students and staff. The implementation is rather shaped by hierarchy and collegial governance factors. This includes the surrounding rules and regulatory frameworks, the establishment of structures such as specialized positions, the existence or lack of an institution-wide strategy, or the independence and relevance of individual departments, faculties, and individual members of staff. We suggest understanding digitalization as a comprehensive approach that is intertwined with all levels and modes of governance in higher education.