INTERNATIONALIZE WITHOUT EVER LOSING THE ESSENCE: SELF-ASSESSMENT AS THE AXIS OF INTERNATIONALIZATION IN EDUCATION GRADUATE PROGRAMSAbstract
This theoretical-analytical article examines the intrinsic relationship between self-assessment processes and internationalization policies in Graduate Programs in Education (PPGE) in Brazil, in light of the guidelines established by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes) for the 2025-2028 evaluation cycle. It argues that, for internationalization to be effective and sustainable, it must go beyond the quantitative metrics of mobility and academic production, grounding itself in a continuous self-assessment process capable of preserving and valuing the local and regional vocation of each program. The title, inspired by Che Guevara’s well-known maxim, reflects the tension between global pressures for excellence and the social and political responsibility of universities toward the contexts in which they are embedded. Using as a case study the guidelines of a Graduate Program in Education with strong regional engagement, the article analyzes how selfassessment can serve as a strategic mechanism for an internationalization process that promotes “glocalization,” articulating global and local dimensions and strengthening research with social and educational impact in its area of influence.
Keywords:
glocalization; internationalization; educational policy.
Resumo
Este artigo teórico-analítico discute a relação intrínseca entre os processos de autoavaliação e as políticas de internacionalização nos Programas de PósGraduação em Educação (PPGE) no Brasil, à luz das diretrizes estabelecidas pela Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Capes) para o ciclo avaliativo 2025-2028. Argumenta-se que a internacionalização, para ser efetiva e sustentável, deve ultrapassar a ênfase em métricas quantitativas de mobilidade e produção, ancorando-se em um processo contínuo de autoavaliação capaz de preservar e valorizar a vocação loco-regional de cada programa. O título, inspirado na máxima de Che Guevara, reflete a tensão entre as pressões globais por excelência e a responsabilidade social e política das universidades em relação aos contextos nos quais se inserem. Tomando como estudo de caso as diretrizes de um PPG em Educação com forte inserção regional, o texto analisa como a autoavaliação pode constituir um mecanismo estratégico para uma internacionalização que promova a "glocalização", articulando as dimensões global e local e fortalecendo pesquisas com impacto social e educacional em sua área de abrangência.
Palavras-chave:
glocalização; internacionalização; política educacional.
Resumen
Este artículo teórico-analítico discute la relación intrínseca entre los procesos de autoevaluación y las políticas de internacionalización en los Programas de Posgrado en Educación (PPGE) en Brasil, a la luz de las directrices establecidas por la Coordinación de Perfeccionamiento del Personal de Nivel Superior (Capes) para el ciclo evaluativo 2025-2028. Se sostiene que la internacionalización, para ser efectiva y sostenible, debe superar el énfasis en métricas cuantitativas de movilidad y producción, y fundamentarse en un proceso continuo de autoevaluación capaz de preservar y valorizar la vocación local and regional de cada programa. El título, inspirado en la conocida máxima de Che Guevara, refleja la tensión entre las presiones globales por excelencia y la responsabilidad social y política de las universidades respecto de los contextos en los que se insertan. Tomando como estudio de caso las directrices de un PPG en Educación con fuerte inserción regional, el texto analiza cómo la autoevaluación puede constituirse en un mecanismo estratégico para una internacionalización que promueva la “glocalización”, articulando las dimensiones global y local y fortaleciendo investigaciones con impacto social y educativo en su ámbito de actuación.
Palabras clave:
glocalización; internacionalización; política educativa.
1 INTRODUCTION
Over the past few decades, there has been a significant increase in research on the internationalization of higher education. Although this movement may appear to be recent, its roots can be traced back to medieval universities, which already exhibited a cosmopolitan character and connected different territories and bodies of knowledge through a dynamic interplay between the local and the global. Since then, higher education institutions have reflected an enduring tension between national demands and international trends, an analysis revisited by Gazzoni (2025), drawing on authors such as Stallivieri (2002), Miranda and Stallivieri (2017), and Altbach (2004).
Within this historical and conceptual context, Brazilian graduate programs, particularly in the field of Education, is undergoing a process of renewal that reflects these global dynamics. The current landscape is characterized by a redefinition of priorities and strategies, driven by the guidelines established for the new evaluation cycle of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Capes) for the 2025- 2028 period. Within this debate, two thematic axes play a central role: self-assessment and internationalization. Far from constituting isolated processes, their articulation has proven crucial to building a model of excellence that is both globally relevant and socially responsible (Trevisol, 2025).
The pressure toward internationalization, often mediated by rankings and external evaluation indicators, tends to prioritize the global dimension at the expense of local engagement and impact (Brarreyro; Santos; Ferreira, 2021). It is within this context of tensions that na adapted version of a maxim attributed to the revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara emerges: Internationalize without ever losing the local and regional essence. The phrase encapsulates the challenge of strengthening the presence of Graduate Programs in the international academic debate without relinquishing their vocation and commitment to the development of their surrounding communities, particularly in the case of Graduate Programs in Education (Programas de PósGraduação em Educação - PPGE), which have traditionally been closely linked to the demands and challenges of Basic Education (Educação Básica, i.e., school education) and to regional public policies (Wandercil et al., 2025).
Building on this issue, this article analyzes self-assessment as an integrating axis of an internationalization policy guided by the concept of “glocalization” (Patel; Lynch, 2013; Lima; Leite, 2019; Knight, 2020). To this end, it examines Capes requirements for the 2025-2028 evaluation cycle, particularly those set forth in the Education Area Document, and contrasts them with the institutional practices of a Graduate Program in Education (PPGE) with strong regional engagement, namely that of the Municipal University of São Caetano do Sul (USCS). In its internal guidelines, this program emphasizes the articulation of local demands with international cooperation, particularly with Latin American countries.
The choice of the PPGE/USCS as an illustrative case study is justified by the fact that it brings together characteristics that embody the principles of glocal internationalization discussed in this article. Located in a region of high economic and social density, marked by significant educational challenges, the Program has consolidated a trajectory that integrates research, the education of educational professionals, and a commitment to regional development. At the same time, it has expanded its international engagement through academic networks, scientific cooperation, and partnerships with Latin American and Ibero-American institutions, demonstrating that internationalization can strengthen, rather than replace, the social mission of graduate education. These characteristics make this case particularly relevant for analyzing how self-assessment can guide internationalization strategies that are simultaneously committed to academic excellence and territorial relevance.
The main theoretical contribution of this article lies in proposing self-assessment as a structuring axis of internationalization in graduate degrees in the field of Education, linking it to the concept of glocalization and to Capes guidelines for the 2025-2028 evaluation cycle. By shifting the focus away from an approach to internationalization centered on mobility metrics and global visibility toward a perspective grounded in the local and regional vocation of graduate programs, the study advances the understanding of how internal evaluation processes can guide a critical and socially responsible approach to internationalization that is aligned with the country’s structural inequalities.
2 METHODOLOGY: THEORETICAL-ANALYTICAL APPROACH AND DOCUMENTARY CASE STUDY
This article is a theoretical-analytical study employing a qualitative approach that seeks to articulate and discuss key concepts related to evaluation and internationalization in Graduate Degrees in Education. The methodology adopted is based on three main pillars:
2.1 Literature Review and Theoretical Analysis
A review of the specialized literature was conducted to provide a theoretical foundation for the concepts of Self-assessment (Dias Sobrinho, 2005) and Internationalization/Glocalization (Patel; Lynch, 2013; Knight, 2020), establishing the theoretical framework underpinning the thesis of “internationalization without losing the local and regional essence.” The theoretical analysis focused on identifying the dialectical tension between, on the one hand, global demands for academic excellence, often guided by international metrics, and, on the other, the social and political responsibility of Graduate Education toward its local context.
Within Avaliação: Revista da Avaliação da Educação Superior itself, the debate on internationalization has shifted from an exclusive emphasis on academic mobility toward the recognition of institutional strategies grounded in management, indicators, and responsiveness to the regional context (Carvalho; Araújo, 2020). In parallel, selfassessment has become established as a structuring axis of the evaluation process in graduate education, conceived at times as a formative and participatory practice and at others as a policy being implemented by Capes (Leite et al., 2020). Studies involving graduates and proposals for assessment instruments have expanded the methodological repertoire available to graduate programs (Trevisol; Balsanello, 2022), while analyses of the intercultural dimension point to pathways for Internationalization at Home within the curriculum and academic life (Luce; Fagundes; Mediel, 2016). Within this context, the bilingual editorial policy adopted by the journal since 2023 aligns form and content, highlighting the contemporary centrality of the topic (Avaliação..., 2025).
2.2 Documentary and Normative Analysis
The documentary research focused on the analysis of two sets of sources. The first comprises normative documents issued by Capes, such as the Education Area Document (2025-2028 Evaluation Cycle) and technical notes concerning the new evaluation model, with the aim of identifying the formal guidelines linking selfassessment to internationalization. The second set comprises institutional documents from the Municipal University of São Caetano do Sul, including the Strategic Development Plan (PED USCS 2030), the Institutional Development Plan (PDI), and internal documents of the Graduate Program in Education (PPGE/USCS) concerning internationalization and self-assessment (USCS, 2020, 2023). These materials were selected according to criteria of thematic relevance, recency (2020-2025), and scope, with priority given to official records that had been institutionally validated.
This analysis made it possible to identify both the guidelines established by Capes and the concrete practices of the PPGE/USCS, such as its participation in international research networks (e.g., REIPEGE, FORGES, INCLUDE, and RIGUED), thereby demonstrating the implementation of a “glocalization” approach currently underway within the Program.
2.2.1 Analytical Procedures and Categories
The analysis employed thematic content analysis (Bardin, 2011), structured into three stages: (i) pre-analysis, involving na initial reading of the material and the preliminary categorization of the thematic axes identified in the documents; (ii) exploration of the material, involving the coding of information according to three main analytical categories: formative and policy-oriented self-assessment, glocal internationalization, and regional impact; and (iii) treatment and interpretation of the results, articulating these categories with the theoretical frameworks adopted (Dias Sobrinho, 2005; Knight, 2020; Lima; Leite, 2019). To ensure consistency in the interpretations, source triangulation procedures were employed, encompassing normative, institutional, and bibliographic documents, together with peer review conducted by the research group affiliated with the PPGE/USCS.
The choice of an illustrative case study is grounded in the understanding that complex institutional processes, such as the integration of self-assessment and internationalization, require situated analyses capable of capturing nuances that would be unlikely to emerge from exclusively comparative or large-scale approaches. As Yin (2018, p. 144, translated by the authors) argues, the case study is particularly appropriate when the aim is to understand a “contemporary phenomenon in depth and within its real-world context,” especially when the boundaries between the phenomenon and its context are not clearly delineated. Accordingly, the case analyzed here is not intended to produce statistical generalizations, but rather analytical generalizations, providing a thick description that makes it possible to identify principles, mechanisms, and conditions that may be recognized, adapted, and transferred by other Graduate Programs in analogous contexts..
2.2.2 Analysis Indicator Matrix (Summary Version)
To operationalize the concepts discussed, na analytical matrix was developed to link the theoretical dimensions to indicators observable in the documents and practices of the PPGE/USCS:
This matrix is not intended to exhaust all possible dimensions, but rather to provide a replicable analytical framework capable of guiding other programs in articulating self-assessment and internationalization.
3 NEW CAPES EVALUATION CYCLE
3.1 Illustrative Case Study
Othe PPGE/USCS is employed as na illustrative case study (Yin, 2018), not for the purpose of generalizing results, but rather to provide rich, contextualized empirical evidence demonstrating the practical application of the article’s central thesis. The analysis of cooperation networks and institutional guidelines provides analytical material supporting the argument that self-assessment serves as a “safeguard” for the program’s local and regional vocation in the face of the pressures inherent in internationalization processes.
Athe articulation of these three methodological pillars made it possible to construct a consistent argument connecting the theory of glocalization, Capes’ normative requirements, and institutional practices, culminating in the proposition of self-assessment as the strategic axis for a qualified and socially responsible approach to internationalization.
3.2 Self-assessment: A Formative and Political Process
Within the context of Capes, self-assessment transcends the function of mere data collection and constitutes a formative and participatory process (Dias Sobrinho, 2005; Souza; Real; Miranda, 2025). The Education Area Document (Capes, 2025-2028) presents it as a fundamental component, emphasizing that Graduate Programs in Education (PPGEs) should use it as na instrument for the continuous review and improvement of strategic planning, for strengthening the participation of all stakeholders involved-faculty members, students, alumni, and technicaladministrative staff-and for ensuring transparency and accountability to the academic community and society (Brasil, 2025).
For José Dias Sobrinho (2005), the evaluation of higher education and, by extension, self-assessment, should be understood in its political dimension, as it may function either as na instrument of external regulation and control or as a means of emancipation and institutional autonomy. In the context of internationalization, selfassessment becomes the tool through which a graduate program can critically examine its choices and strategic directions, bringing fundamental questions to the forefront: What kind of internationalization do we seek? To what extent does it reinforce or threaten our commitment to the local context?
Self-assessment, therefore, constitutes a mechanism for reflection that ensures that internationalization does not become na end in itself, but rather a means of enhancing the program’s research, education, and societal engagement, always in dialogue with the Brazilian educational context and regional demands.
3.3 Internationalization and the Glocal Tension: The CAPES Perspective and USCS Practice
In the 2025-2028 evaluation cycle, CAPES recognizes internationalization as a strategic axis for expanding the engagement and visibility of graduate programs. However, the Education Area Document notes that, despite the progress achieved, the growth of internationalization initiatives remains “modest compared with other areas” (Capes, 2025-2028). This observation suggests the need not only to intensify but also to enhance the quality of this process (Brasil, 2025).
More recent approaches to internationalization, as proposed by Patel and Lynch (2013) and Knight (2020), shift the focus from mobility alone (internationalization abroad) toward Internationalization at Home and, more recently, Glocalization. Knight (2020, p. 48) defines internationalization as “the process of integrating na international, intercultural, or global dimension into the purpose, functions (primarily teaching/learning, research, service), or delivery of higher education.”
The concept of glocalization emerged in the 1980s, initially as a market strategy developed in Japan. The term combines “globalization” and “localization” and expresses the idea that, in a globalized context, practices and products can be expanded without losing sight of the cultural and social specificities of each locality. Glocalization thus seeks to articulate the global and the local, recognizing that global culture is constituted through the interaction between universal elements and regional particularities, as noted by Lima and Leite (2019).
Although the concept of glocalization originated with Robertson (1995), Ball (2008) contributes to its understanding by demonstrating how global policies are reinterpreted and recontextualized within local settings. On the one hand, glocalization expresses the positive potential for articulating different contexts, enabling institutions located in peripheral territories to participate in international networks and produce knowledge of global relevance. On the other hand, it reveals a negative dimension by highlighting how the discourse of globalization can generate symbolic and epistemological dependencies, reinforcing hierarchies between centers and peripheries of scientific knowledge production. From this perspective, approaching internationalization through the lens of glocalization entails recognizing both the possibilities for inclusion and solidarity-based cooperation and the risks of reproducing global inequalities within academia (Ball, 2008).
Other contributions broaden this understanding of internationalization by distinguishing its multiple dimensions. Knight (2020) and Beelen and Jones (2015) emphasize that Internationalization at Home seeks to integrate international and intercultural perspectives into the curriculum and institutional practices, making the global experience accessible to all students. Hudzik (2014) proposes the concept of comprehensive internationalization, understood as an integrated institutional strategy encompassing teaching, research, extension, and management and combining both academic mobility (internationalization abroad) and internal practices (Internationalization at Home). This approach makes it possible to distinguish among mobility, cooperation, and impact, while understanding internationalization as a formative, evaluative, and socially responsible process.
In this regard, it is useful to distinguish the main approaches that structure the contemporary debate on internationalization, broadening its understanding beyond academic mobility.
Within this context, the Graduate Program in Education at USCS (PPGE/USCS), according to its internal documents (USCS, 2020, 2023), exemplifies this pursuit of glocalization. The program, which has na “eminently regional vocation,” has established a significant national presence and international engagement, particularly through relationships with Latin American countries such as Chile, Colombia, and Mexico.
In its Strategic Development Plan (PED USCS 2030), USCS itself recognizes this tension between the global and the local. “Driving Force 9: Internationalization of Higher Education” points to a trend toward the “reduction of boundaries in favor of academic internationalization,” accompanied by greater demand for knowledge of other languages and for international partnerships. However, the document warns of the risk of a “model dominated by market logic,” which could create a university “more interested in the market and little or not at all concerned with regional and national social problems.” As a strategic response, the document proposes to “renew approaches to mobility and internationalization that respond to the new demands of global education, within the requirements of the local and regional university model” (USCS, 2020, p. 79).
This institutional guideline reinforces the need for a continuous self-assessment process that ensures alignment between the PPGE’s internationalization and the university’s mission to operate within global networks without losing sight of its commitment to the local community, while preserving the values that reflect its origins and identity (USCS, 2020).
Table 2 illustrates the articulation between the PPGE/USCS internationalization guidelines and the concept of glocalization, contrasting them with a traditional perspective on internationalization.
Table 2 highlights the paradigmatic transition from traditional internationalization to the glocal approach adopted by the PPGE/USCS. By incorporating dimensions such as governance, cooperation, education and training, evaluation, and impact, the table underscores the need to reorient institutional practices so that internationalization ceases to constitute na end in itself and instead becomes a process articulated with the social and educational mission of graduate programs. This perspective broadens the understanding that the success of internationalization is not limited to indicators of global visibility, but depends on the capacity to integrate collaborative and evaluative practices that promote local relevance and social responsibility.
The conceptual flowchart presented in Table 3 sequentially summarizes the analytical pathway developed in this study, highlighting the progression from theory to Capes guidelines, self-assessment, and glocal internationalization, ultimately leading to the materialization of concrete outputs and impacts. The progression across these stages reinforces the role of self-assessment as the link capable of aligning theoretical principles and evaluation policies with institutional practices, thereby transforming internationalization into a strategic, reflective action oriented toward the public good.
Following this theoretical and methodological pathway, the analysis turns to the practical application of these principles within the context of the Graduate Program in Education at USCS, understood as an illustrative case study. At this stage, the investigation seeks to demonstrate how institutional guidelines, grounded in selfassessment, translate into a form of internationalization that is consolidated as a glocal practice, simultaneously embedded in international networks and committed to regional development.
The PPGE/USCS’s engagement in international research networks gives concrete expression to this glocal approach, demonstrating a diversified internationalization strategy that is consistent with the institutional mission. The scope of these partnerships extends beyond Latin America to Portugal and the United Kingdom, and they converge around themes that directly relate to self-assessment and social impact.
South-South cooperation is strengthened through the Red Latinoamericana de Investigadores em la Memoria, Cultura y Comunicación (with the Universidad de Colima and the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexico), which focuses on analogous educational and social issues, such as migration and transnational collective memory (Cardoso; Perazzo, 2025). Another milestone is the partnership with Tecnológico de Antioquia Institución Universitaria (TdeA - Colombia), which focuses on academic exchange and ongoing negotiations toward a dual-degree agreement for a Master’s Degree in Education (USCS, 2022).
Within the field of Higher Education Management and Policy, the program participates in strategic networks such as the Rede Internacional de Pesquisas em Gestão Educacional (Reipege), which brings together Brazilian and Portuguese universities (including institutions in Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra) (Reipege, 2025), and the Associação Fórum da Gestão do Ensino Superior nos Países e Regiões de Língua Portuguesa (Forges), whose main objective is to establish a Study and Research Network in the field of higher education management and policy across Portuguesespeaking countries (Forges, 2020).
These networks, together with the Red de Investigadores Iberoamericanos sobre Gobernanza Universitaria e Instituições Educativas (Rigued) and the Red Iberoamericana de Investigación em Gobierno y Gobernanza de la Educación Superior (RED2GES) (Rigued, 2025; Observatorio de la Universidad Colombiana, 2024), enable the PPGE/USCS to deepen its analyses of educational governance and policy from a comparative perspective, directly informing the self-assessment process. Collaboration with the Instituto Interuniversitario de Educación Educativa (IESED-Chile), in turn, reinforces the commitment to scientific research and advanced education in the field of Education, with a focus on influencing public policies (IESED-Chile, 2025).
The focus on quality and evaluation is likewise reinforced through participation in the Red de Evaluación Formativa y Compartida em Educación (REFyCE), which conducts research and promotes innovation in formative and shared assessment practices across all levels of education (Refyce, 2005). Finally, the partnership with the University of Worcester (United Kingdom) through The International Collaboratory for Leadership in Universally Designed Education (INCLUDE) demonstrates investment in frontier areas of research such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (Include, 2025), which is essential to inclusion and holistic human development, a core value of USCS.
The diversity of these networks, encompassing areas ranging from memory and culture to governance, educational policy, and inclusion, enables the PPGE/USCS to respond to Capes’ requirements regarding visibility while simultaneously reinforcing the program’s local and regional vocation by mobilizing global expertise to debate and address problems that resonate directly with the realities of the Greater ABC Region of São Paulo and Brazil.
Overall, glocal internationalization is becoming established as a concrete and promising horizon for graduate education committed to equity, sustainability, and the social relevance of scientific production.
The PPGE/USCS constitutes a particularly relevant case for this discussion because it brings together characteristics that synthesize the principles of glocal internationalization: consolidated engagement in a territory marked by social and educational challenges; a tradition of interaction with Latin American and IberoAmerican networks; involvement in the education and professional development of teachers and administrators in Basic Education; and the adoption of self-assessment as a permanent mechanism for institutional planning. These characteristics make the Program na illustrative example of how international strategies can strengthen, rather than replace, locally constructed academic and social commitments.
3.4 Self-assessment as a Safeguard of the Local and regional Essence
The main risk of metrics-driven internationalization is the loss of a Graduate Program’s distinctive character, as it may begin to prioritize research topics aligned with global interests but of limited relevance to its local community. In this context, self-assessment emerges as a fundamental safeguard against such a loss of identity.
Through a rigorous self-assessment process, Graduate Programs in Education can measure their regional impact and enhance their activities on the basis of qualitative indicators that demonstrate their effective contribution to improving Basic Education and public policies in their regional context. Self-assessment should also make it possible to assess the quality and relevance of international partnerships by determining whether they add value to the development of local research and are aligned with the program’s mission, thereby preventing them from being reduced to the mere fulfillment of formal requirements.
In this regard, the (self-)evaluation matrix for internationalization proposed by Amorim and Finardi (2020), structured around the dimensions of Teaching, Research, and Extension, can be adapted to include na additional dimension focused on Local and regional Impact, ensuring that self-assessment incorporates a glocalization perspective. Moreover, the self-assessment process should strengthen societal engagement by examining the coherence between international scientific production and the social and educational needs of the local context, so as to ensure that graduates are prepared to act critically, ethically, and transformatively within their professional and community contexts.
Che Guevara’s phrase, “hay que endurecerse pero sin perder la ternura jamás,” in its original context, referred to the need to remain steadfast in the revolutionary struggle without losing one’s humanity. Adapted to the field of graduate education as “Internationalize Without Ever Losing the Local and Regional Essence,” the expression encapsulates the urgency of pursuing global excellence (the “endurecerse”) without relinquishing sensitivity and commitment to the local context (the “ternura jamás”). Self-assessment is precisely the mechanism that makes this firmness with tenderness possible, ensuring that Graduate Programs in Education fulfill their social and political mission in a critical and responsible manner.
4 FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Self-assessment and internationalization are interdependent pillars of excellence in Graduate Degrees in Education within the 2025-2028 Capes evaluation cycle. Internationalization should be understood as a process of glocalization in which global engagement enhances and strengthens local intervention. Self-assessment, in turn, constitutes the political, formative, and strategic instrument that ensures coherence among the Graduate Program’s mission, its regional vocation, and the demands for academic quality at the international level.
The experience of programs with strong regional engagement, such as the PPGE/USCS, demonstrates that it is possible to build a robust and strategically oriented approach to internationalization, particularly through South-South cooperation networks that engage with shared educational and social challenges. By using selfassessment to measure regional impact and the relevance of international partnerships, Graduate Programs in Education can, indeed, internationalize without losing their local and regional essence, consolidating themselves as centers of excellence that transform the realities of their immediate surroundings while simultaneously making qualified contributions to the global debate.
Additionally, it is essential to advance the consolidation of instruments and indicators capable of systematically monitoring the effects of glocal internationalization on education and training, scientific production, and the social impact of Graduate Programs. These mechanisms strengthen academic governance and ensure that internationalization remains a strategic, relevant, and socially committed practice.
As this is na illustrative case study, the results are not intended to produce statistical generalizations. Nevertheless, they are grounded in the principle of transferability insofar as they provide a thick description of institutional practices, enabling other programs to identify contextual similarities and assess the relevance of adapting the findings to their own realities.
Although glocalization offers a promising horizon by enabling Graduate Programs to articulate international engagement with regional commitment, the concept also entails important ambivalences, as Ball (2008) points out. On the one hand, it facilitates the circulation of knowledge and solidarity-based cooperation among institutions situated in different geopolitical contexts; on the other, it may reinforce historical asymmetries by reproducing patterns of academic, epistemological, and linguistic dependence.
Furthermore, when incorporated through evaluation policies that rely excessively on metrics, internationalization tends to be reduced to indicators of productivity, mobility, and bibliometric impact, thereby undermining its formative and social functions. It is therefore essential to recognize that glocalization is not a neutral process, as it requires critical vigilance, collective participation, and continuous selfassessment capable of identifying not only its potential but also its limitations and risks.
By emphasizing this ambivalent dimension, the present study contributes to the development of internationalization models that go beyond merely responding to global pressures for excellence and instead effectively enhance academic quality, social justice, and the public relevance of Graduate Degrees in Education in Brazil.
AI USE STATEMENT
The artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT (OpenAI) was used to support the revision of the writing, organization of the text, and improvement of academic language. The authors bear full responsibility for the content, analyses, and conclusions presented in the manuscript.
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
The complete dataset supporting the results of this study has been published within the article itself.
REFERENCES
-
ALTBACH, P. G. Globalization and the university: myths and realities in an unequal world. Tertiary Education and Management, Dordrecht, v. 10, n. 1, p. 3-25, 2004. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13583883.2004.9967114 Accessed on: 01 Nov. 2025.
» https://doi.org/10.1080/13583883.2004.9967114 -
AMORIM, G. B.; FINARDI, K. R. Uma matriz de (auto)avaliação da internacionalização do ensino superior no Brasil. Estudos em Avaliação Educacional, São Paulo, v. 31, n. 78, p. 699-724, set./dez. 2020. Available at: https://publicacoes.fcc.org.br/eae/article/view/7381 Accessed on: 01 Nov. 2025.
» https://publicacoes.fcc.org.br/eae/article/view/7381 -
AVALIAÇÃO, Revista da Avaliação da Educação Superior. Sobre a revista 2025. Available at: https://submission.scielo.br/index.php/aval/about Accessed on: 01 Nov. 2025.
» https://submission.scielo.br/index.php/aval/about - BALL, S. J. The education debate Bristol: Policy Press, 2008.
- BARDIN, L. Análise de conteúdo São Paulo: Edições 70, 2011.
-
BARREYRO, G. B.; SANTOS, P. P.; FERREIRA, F. B. Rankings acadêmicos internacionais nas mídias de duas universidades de pesquisa brasileiras. Avaliação: Revista da Avaliação da Educação Superior, Campinas, Sorocaba, v. 26, n. 3, p. 822-844, set. 2021. Available at: https://www.scielo.br/j/aval/a/zmpqBP9NtRMNmVCfLqbZqKP/?lang=pt Accessed on: 01 Nov. 2025.
» https://www.scielo.br/j/aval/a/zmpqBP9NtRMNmVCfLqbZqKP/?lang=pt -
BEELEN, J.; JONES, E. Redefining Internationalization at Home. In: CURAJ, Adrian et al. (org.). The European Higher Education Area: Between Critical Reflections and Future Policies Cham: Springer, 2015. p. 59-72. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20877-0_5 Accessed on: 01 Nov. 2025.
» https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20877-0_5 -
BRASIL. Ministério da Educação. Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Capes). Documento de Área da Educação: ciclo avaliativo 2025- 2028. Brasília, DF: Capes, 2025. Available at: https://www.gov.br/capes/pt-br/acessoa-informacao/acoes-e-programas/avaliacao/sobre-a-avaliacao/areasavaliacao/sobre-as-areas-de-avaliacao/colegio-de-humanidades/cienciashumanas/copy_of_EDUCACAO_DOCAREA_2025_2028.pdf Accessed on: 19 Oct. 2025.
» https://www.gov.br/capes/pt-br/acessoa-informacao/acoes-e-programas/avaliacao/sobre-a-avaliacao/areasavaliacao/sobre-as-areas-de-avaliacao/colegio-de-humanidades/cienciashumanas/copy_of_EDUCACAO_DOCAREA_2025_2028.pdf -
CARDOSO, J. B. F.; PERAZZO, P. Estudios sobre Culturas Contemporáneas en la Red Latinoamericana de Investigadores en Memoria, Cultura y Comunicación. Estudios sobre las Culturas Contemporáneas, Colima, México, v. 2, n. 3, p. 7-11, enero./jun. 2025. Available at: https://revistasacademicas.ucol.mx/index.php/culturascontemporaneas/article/view/2206 Accessed on: 01 Nov. 2025.
» https://revistasacademicas.ucol.mx/index.php/culturascontemporaneas/article/view/2206 -
CARVALHO, S. B. R. de; ARAÚJO, G. C. de. Gestão da internacionalização das instituições de ensino superior. Avaliação: Revista da Avaliação da Educação Superior, Campinas, Sorocaba, v. 25, n. 1, p. 113-131, jan. 2020. Available at: https://www.scielo.br/j/aval/a/QrmFmDCs45s3s75TsMLCR3q/?lang=pt Accessed on: 01 Nov. 2025.
» https://www.scielo.br/j/aval/a/QrmFmDCs45s3s75TsMLCR3q/?lang=pt -
DIAS SOBRINHO, J. Educação superior, globalização e democratização: qual universidade? Revista Brasileira de Educação, Rio de Janeiro, n. 28, p. 147-163, 2005. Available at: https://www.scielo.br/j/rbedu/a/xZvK8WKS5zkC7mznzGbTSXk/?lang=pt Accessed on: 01 Nov. 2025.
» https://www.scielo.br/j/rbedu/a/xZvK8WKS5zkC7mznzGbTSXk/?lang=pt -
FORGES. Associação Fórum da Gestão do Ensino Superior nos Países e Regiões de Língua Portuguesa. Sobre nós 2020. Available at: https://aforges.org/sobre-nos/ Accessed on: 29 Oct. 2025.
» https://aforges.org/sobre-nos/ -
GAZZONI, F. et al. A internacionalização das instituições de ensino superior do Rio Grande do Sul na perspectiva dos atores institucionais. Avaliação: Revista da Avaliação da Educação Superior, Campinas, Sorocaba, v. 30, e025001, 2025. Available at: https://www.scielo.br/j/aval/a/5FcrCgsdKP9t8HwGzNXGY3G/?lang=pt Accessed on: 01 Oct. 2025.
» https://www.scielo.br/j/aval/a/5FcrCgsdKP9t8HwGzNXGY3G/?lang=pt -
HUDZIK, J. K. Comprehensive internationalization: institutional pathways to success. New York: Routledge. 2014. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315771885 Accessed on 01 Nov. 2025.
» https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315771885 -
IESED-CHILE. Instituto Interuniversitario de Educación Educativa. Investigador Invitado Internacional. 2025. Available at: https://iesed.cl/ Accessed on: 29 Oct. 2025.
» https://iesed.cl/ -
INCLUDE. The International Collaboratory for Leadership in Universally Designed Education. About Include 2025. Available at: https://include.wp.worc.ac.uk/ Accessed on: 29 Oct. 2025.
» https://include.wp.worc.ac.uk/ -
KNIGHT, J. Internacionalização da educação superior: conceitos, tendências e desafios. São Leopoldo: Oikos, 2020. E-book Available at: https://oikoseditora.com.br/files/Internacionalizacao%20da%20educ%20superior%20-%20JANE%20KNIGHT%20-%20e-book.pdf Accessed on: 01 Nov. 2025.
» https://oikoseditora.com.br/files/Internacionalizacao%20da%20educ%20superior%20-%20JANE%20KNIGHT%20-%20e-book.pdf -
LEITE, D. et al. A autoavaliação na Pós-Graduação (PG) como componente do processo avaliativo Capes. Avaliação: Revista da Avaliação da Educação Superior Campinas, Sorocaba, v. 25, n. 2, p. 339-353, maio 2020. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1414-4077/S1414-40772020000200006 Accessed on: 01 Nov. 2025.
» https://doi.org/10.1590/S1414-4077/S1414-40772020000200006 -
LIMA, E. G. S.; LEITE, D. Conhecimento Social Emergente e Conhecimento Glocal. Educar em Revista, Curitiba, v. 35, n. 75, p. 61-79, maio/jun. 2019. Available at: https://www.scielo.br/j/er/a/jxpYGCfbh9x7hVPDmqySPVQ/?lang=pt Accessed on: 01 Nov. 2025.
» https://www.scielo.br/j/er/a/jxpYGCfbh9x7hVPDmqySPVQ/?lang=pt -
LUCE, M. B.; FAGUNDES, C. V.; MEDIEL, O. G. Internacionalização da educação superior: a dimensão intercultural e o suporte institucional na avaliação da mobilidade acadêmica. Avaliação: Revista da Avaliação da Educação Superior, Campinas, Sorocaba, v. 21, n. 2, p. 317-340, jul. 2016. Available at: https://www.scielo.br/j/aval/a/FhyPkHjxyz78zYHZFLvJg6t/?lang=pt Accessed on: 01 Nov. 2025.
» https://www.scielo.br/j/aval/a/FhyPkHjxyz78zYHZFLvJg6t/?lang=pt -
MIRANDA, J. A. A.; STALLIVIERI, L. Para uma política pública de internacionalização para o ensino superior no Brasil. Avaliação: Revista da Avaliação da Educação Superior, Campinas, Sorocaba, v. 22, n. 3, p. 589-613, dez. 2017. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1414-40772017000300002 Accessed on: 01 Nov. 2025.
» https://doi.org/10.1590/S1414-40772017000300002 -
OBSERVATORIO DE LA UNIVERSIDAD COLOMBIANA. Nace Red Iberoamericana de Investigación en Gobierno y Gobernanza de la Educación Superior 2024. Available at: https://www.universidad.edu.co/nace-red-iberoamericana-deinvestigacion-en-gobierno-y-gobernanza-de-la-ed-superior-red2ges/ Accessed on: 29 Oct. 2025.
» https://www.universidad.edu.co/nace-red-iberoamericana-deinvestigacion-en-gobierno-y-gobernanza-de-la-ed-superior-red2ges/ -
PATEL, F.; LYNCH, H. Glocalization as an Alternative to Internationalization in Higher Education: Embedding Positive Glocal Learning Perspectives. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, v. 25, n. 2, p. 223-230, 2013. Available at: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1016539.pdf Accessed on: 01 Nov. 2025.
» https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1016539.pdf -
REFyCE. Red de Evaluación Formativa y Compartida en Educación. Presentación 2005. Available at: https://redevaluacionformativa.wordpress.com/ Accessed on: 29 Oct. 2025.
» https://redevaluacionformativa.wordpress.com/ -
REIPEGE. Rede Internacional de Pesquisas em Gestão Educacional. A Rede Internacional de Pesquisas em Gestão Educacional - REIPEGE 2025. Available at: https://redepege.wixsite.com/rede-de-pesquisas-ge/blank-1 Accessed on: 29 Oct. 2025.
» https://redepege.wixsite.com/rede-de-pesquisas-ge/blank-1 -
RIGUED. Red de Investigadores Iberoamericanos sobre Gobernanza Universitaria e Instituições Educativas. Sobre Nosotros 2025. Available at: https://www.gobernanzauniversitaria.cl/?page_id=7025 Accessed on: 29 Oct. 2025.
» https://www.gobernanzauniversitaria.cl/?page_id=7025 - ROBERTSON, R. ‘Glocalization: time-space and homogeneity heterogeneity’, in M. Featherstone, S. Lash and R. Robertson (eds) Global modernities, London: Sage Publications. 1995.
-
SOUZA, Â. R.; REAL, G. C. M.; MIRANDA, N. A. A autoavaliação na Pós-Graduação em Educação no Brasil. Práxis Educativa, Ponta Grossa, PR, v. 20, p. 1-12, 2025. Available at: https://revistas.uepg.br/index.php/praxiseducativa/pt_BR/article/view/24882 Accessed on: 01 Nov. 2025.
» https://revistas.uepg.br/index.php/praxiseducativa/pt_BR/article/view/24882 -
STALLIVIERI, L. O processo de internacionalização nas instituições de ensino superior. Educação Brasileira, Brasília, v. 24, n. 48, p. 35-57, 2002. Available at: https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=erBvGHoAAAAJ&citation_for_view=erBvGHoAAAAJ:d1gkVwhDpl0C Accessed on: 03 nov. 2025.
» https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=erBvGHoAAAAJ&citation_for_view=erBvGHoAAAAJ:d1gkVwhDpl0C -
TREVISOL, J. V.; BALSANELLO, G. A pós-graduação sob a perspectiva dos egressos: um estudo de autoavaliação. Avaliação: Revista da Avaliação da Educação Superior, Campinas, Sorocaba, v. 27, n. 3, p. 470-492, set. 2022. Available at: https://www.scielo.br/j/aval/a/ZyBVQWMm3wgGkqyxchTFZPr/?lang=pt Accessed on: 01 Nov. 2025.
» https://www.scielo.br/j/aval/a/ZyBVQWMm3wgGkqyxchTFZPr/?lang=pt -
TREVISOL, J. V. Autoavaliação da pós-graduação: o que a experiência internacional nos ensina? Práxis Educativa, Ponta Grossa, PR, v. 20, p. 1-21, 2025. Available at: https://revistas.uepg.br/index.php/praxiseducativa/pt_BR/article/view/24880 Accessed on: 01 Nov. 2025.
» https://revistas.uepg.br/index.php/praxiseducativa/pt_BR/article/view/24880 - USCS. Universidade Municipal de São Caetano do Sul. Plano de Desenvolvimento Estratégico USCS 2030 Documento interno, 2020.
-
USCS. Universidade Municipal de São Caetano do Sul. Plano de Desenvolvimento Institucional (PDI) 2023. Available at: https://esic.uscs.edu.br/download/arquivos/gjfxoInwQl3JJzHh872fGbGxxeqrPfeINvxVQzW7.pdf Accessed on: 29 Oct. 2025.
» https://esic.uscs.edu.br/download/arquivos/gjfxoInwQl3JJzHh872fGbGxxeqrPfeINvxVQzW7.pdf -
USCS. Universidade Municipal de São Caetano do Sul. Prestação de Contas Documento público, 2022. Available at: https://esic.uscs.edu.br/download/arquivos/BZh0uU0dwH6kuM2vl56b9zUxJzntqSCPksbi8Aw4.pdf Accessed on: 29 Oct. 2025.
» https://esic.uscs.edu.br/download/arquivos/BZh0uU0dwH6kuM2vl56b9zUxJzntqSCPksbi8Aw4.pdf -
WANDERCIL, M.; SILVA, M. R. P.; APARÍCIO, A. S. M.; ROSA, S. S. A autoavaliação como prática de governança na pós-graduação: percepções discentes e referências comparadas. Práxis Educativa, Ponta Grossa, PR, v. 20, p. 1-20, 2025. Available at: https://revistas.uepg.br/index.php/praxiseducativa/pt_BR/article/view/24888 Accessed on: 29 Oct. 2025.
» https://revistas.uepg.br/index.php/praxiseducativa/pt_BR/article/view/24888 -
YIN, R. K. Case Study Research and Applications: design and methods. 6. ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 2018. Available at: https://ebooks.umu.ac.ug/librarian/booksfile/Case%20Study%20Research%20and%20Applications.pdf Accessed on: 01 Nov. 2025.
» https://ebooks.umu.ac.ug/librarian/booksfile/Case%20Study%20Research%20and%20Applications.pdf
