Reframing international organisations’ roles in global higher education: a typology based on authority and governance instruments

International organisations are central actors in global higher education governance, yet their roles remain inconsistently conceptualised. This study develops a two-dimensional typology of international organisations based on authority and governance instruments, drawing on institutional theory and mechanism design theory. Using comparative document analysis across intergovernmental, regional, and non-governmental actors, four ideal types are identified: strategic leaders, influential advocates, operational specialists, and emerging innovators. The findings show that international organisations’ governance roles are shaped by specific configurations of authority and instruments, including funding, standard-setting, and capacity-building. These configurations condition both policy influence and implementation capacity, while also revealing persistent tensions between normative agendas and local uptake, as well as the marginalisation of grassroots initiatives. By clarifying how authority and governance instruments interact, the study offers a structured framework for understanding international organisations’ differentiated roles in higher education reform and international policy diffusion.