Research Snapshot: IaH in the Republic of Cyprus
Contextualizing Internationalization at Home: academic perspectives from Cypriot higher education in a changing global landscape
Publication date: 06 October 2025
This study was conducted by María Victoria Soulé. It examines how academic staff across six universities in the Republic of Cyprus perceive and implement Internationalisation at Home (IaH). A previous systematic review led by the same author, "Internationalization at Home in Higher Education: A Systematic Review of Teaching and Learning Practices", identified only two published IaH cases in Cyprus: one in a STEM discipline and one in a non-STEM field, situated in a public and a private university, and involving different academic ranks. This limited evidence base prompted further investigation into whether additional IaH initiatives were being implemented but not formally documented. Drawing on survey data from 76 academic staff, and using three-way ANOVA and Qualitative Content Analysis, the study provides a broader empirical picture of IaH practices in the Cypriot context.
Findings show that Internationalisation at Home in Cyprus depends less on institutional rhetoric and more on who teaches, in which discipline, and under what structural conditions.
María Victoria Soulé
María Victoria Soulé is a lecturer in the Department of French and European Studies at the University of Cyprus, where she works on international student mobility, including Study Abroad, Internationalisations at Home and plurilingual language education. Her research explores how institutional contexts, academic disciplines and faculty roles shape internationalisation practices. She pays particular attention to inclusive approaches that broaden access beyond mobility and connect internationalisation with plurilingualism and linguistic diversity in higher education.
Key findings of the research:
This study shows that academic rank significantly shapes how Internationalisation at Home (IaH) is perceived and implemented. Senior academics are more likely to integrate structurally supported activities, such as guest lectures and international collaborations, while junior staff tend to rely on student-centred and digitally mediated practices, including Virtual Exchange.
Disciplinary differences are also evident. Non-STEM academics report a broader range of intercultural pedagogies, comparative case studies, and culturally embedded discussions. In contrast, STEM staff frequently equate IaH with English-medium instruction and the use of international literature, reflecting a more instrumental understanding of internationalisation.
Institution type (public vs. private) does not significantly affect perceptions of IaH importance, suggesting that national policy frameworks and shared structural constraints may be more influential than institutional distinctions. These findings highlight the need for context-sensitive faculty development, curricular flexibility, and inclusive language policies to advance IaH meaningfully.
