Strategic Horizons: Comparative Lessons on Higher Education Internationalization from Romania and Poland

This article presents a comparative analysis of internationalization strategies at two leading higher education institutions (HEIs) in Central and Eastern Europe: Universitatea Babeș-Bolyai (UBB) in Romania and the University of Warsaw (UW) in Poland. Drawing on formal policy documents from the two institutions, the study employs content and discourse analysis to examine how institutional visions, goals, and actions articulate internationalization as a strategic imperative. Findings reveal both convergence and divergence in approach. UBB adopts a pragmatic, five-year operational strategy oriented toward measurable growth in international student recruitment, expansion of foreign-language programs, mobility diversification, and comprehensive student services. Its initiatives, such as the Françubb francophone project and alumni ambassador networks, underscore a market-driven, niche-focused model shaped by national legal constraints on joint degrees. By contrast, UW embeds internationalization structurally within its broader institutional strategy, envisioning joint and multiple-degree programs, multilingual curriculum expansion, and mobility as a permanent feature of study. Anchored in the 4EU+ European University Alliance, UW positions itself as a European trend-setter, aiming to integrate internationalization into its institutional culture through systemic reforms and cultural transformation. The comparison highlights shared emphases on alliances, mobility, curricular internationalization, and student integration, while also underscoring distinctive pathways shaped by national contexts and institutional ambitions. UBB exemplifies operational pragmatism within constraints, while UW embodies aspirational integration aligned with European higher education reforms. Together, the cases demonstrate the diversity of internationalization models in newer EU member states, illustrating how HEIs translate global imperatives into locally responsive strategies.