The role of foreign-educated faculty in fostering research internationalization in Pakistan higher education

This study examines how foreign-educated faculty contribute to fostering research internationalization in their home universities, considering as manifestations of such internationalization the publication of studies in international journals, participation in international conferences, editorial memberships, projects, and research impact. The study used a purposive sampling approach focused on six Pakistani universities. A validated survey instrument was administered to 102 foreign-educated faculty and 117 faculty members educated in national higher education institutions. The findings suggest that foreign-educated faculty demonstrate a higher level of engagement with the global academic community, particularly by co-authoring articles, books/chapters with international scholars, as well as presenting research works at global conferences. In addition, these scholars are cited more often. The study also analyzes various factors that influence the contribution of returnee faculty members to research internationalization and observes that discipline, gender, and academic rank affect the internationalization of academic investigation differently. The study concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for enhancing research internationalization in Pakistan, contributing valuable insights to higher education research.