Beyond academia: The role of non-HEI actors in shaping the internationalisation of higher education

As higher education institutions (HEIs) increasingly pursue comprehensive internationalisation, a persistent gap remains between strategic ambitions and practical implementation across teaching, research, and societal ambitions. Although HEIs are the primary drivers of internationalisation, effective and sustainable progress depends on active collaboration with a broader range of non-HEI actors across various stakeholder groups, including intergovernmental organisations, non-governmental organisations and higher education associations/networks, research hubs, and policymakers. Yet, the roles of these stakeholders and the extent to which different actors collaborate across groups and regions remain underexamined. This study aims to fill this gap through a systems thinking, multi-scalar framework, followed by an actor mapping and social network analysis to explore collaboration across sectors and regions. Empirical data consists of an actor matrix based on institutional documents and official websites, detailing formal partnerships and informal collaborations collected manually between December 2024 and February 2025. Results show collaboration within and across stakeholder groups, with some actors emerging as key bridges between regions and sectors. However, regional and structural asymmetries persist, particularly in developing regions and in links between research hubs and policymakers. Despite growing calls for equity-focused internationalisation, cross-sectoral collaboration remains limited, and socially oriented models seem to be disconnected from dominant intergovernmental and policy initiatives. These findings highlight the need for trust-based governance and more inclusive collaboration frameworks to achieve truly comprehensive internationalisation.