Networks, Associations or Consortia? Academic Cooperation as an Internationalization Strategy

Higher education institutions (HEI), as a reference for the development of knowledge and learning in the world, aim to promote education through teaching, research, and the dissemination of culture, commitments that they often share, and that place them in a reality of constant change and adaptation. However, this implies that HEIs must seek international alliances level to fulfill their institutional objectives more adequately and in an innovative way.

Thus cooperation involves enhancing the academic quality of study programs, enriching teacher training, adapting the student profile to new national and international requirements, and raising awareness among staff about promoting education through the continuous improvement of all institutional processes.

There are several strategies for linkage between HEIs, which allow the promotion of experiences for academic development, but, which would be the most effective: an association, a network, or a consortium?

In the definitions of these concepts, several characteristics have similarities, but there are also differences, especially in the academic cooperation context. The following is a reflection on these concepts to contrast them in the context of this kind of alliances. In general terms:

• A network is a group of institutions or individuals organized to fulfill or achieve a specific purpose or exchange information.
• An association can be understood as an organization formed by individuals or institutions gathered to fulfill a common objective, through standardization of something that is applicable to the majority.
• A consortium involves grouping several entities to carry out a specific initiative, such as a research project, the promotion or development of a venture, or the execution of a program. In some cases, creating a consortium allows access to financial resources so the activity can be developed.

THE NACS PLAY AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN THE INTERNATIONALIZATION PROCESS OF HEIS

Since the above definitions share aspects, they can all apply to different groupings. This article proposes to conceptualize networks, associations, and consortia (NACs) as organizations formed by other higher education institutions (HEIs) or individuals with similar interests and objectives whose operation is based on a set of rules that allow them to perform a specific function, joining efforts to achieve a common goal for the benefit of their community.

The NACs play an essential role in the internationalization process of HEIs since they invariably involve interaction between various institutions from different countries.

ADVANTAGES OF NACS AS MEANS OF LIAISON
Two scenarios can be identified in which NACs bring a benefit to higher education institutions:

1. In the institutional scenario, activities that generally impact the university community are developed; for example, when institutions promote implementing programs, calls, or forums aimed at the entire university community.
2. The individual scenario in which a professor, researcher, or student actively participating within a NAC can obtain benefits that directly impact their professional and academic development.

From the perspective of the institutional scenario, participation in NACs represents a collaboration mechanism that goes beyond establishing bilateral relationships; in other words, it allows for the expansion of ties without the need to sign agreements with each member institution.
Likewise, the NACs’ promoted topics and activities facilitate the discovery of fresh and inventive ways of cooperating. These discussion spaces can give rise to groundbreaking initiatives with a global reach and influence institutional policies.

Participating in a NAC provides access to resources, including mobility opportunities at participating HEIs, student scholarships, support for academic personnel and staff, and funds to promote research projects, training programs, and discussion forums for the betterment of the community.

Likewise, being active in a NAC can be an opportunity to establish regional or field-related leadership.

In addition, NACs can provide HEIs with access to information sources established or disseminated by themselves.

These are just some opportunities offered by belonging to a NAC, so exploring other benefits that its existence promotes is advisable.

Is it strategic to participate in every NAC? Although there are many advantages (the ones described previously and others) of participating in NACs, it is necessary to consider some conditions to develop a strategic collaboration in order to obtain the best benefits. It is recommended, for example, that before joining or becoming involved with a NAC, a feasibility analysis should be carried out that considers some aspects, such as the listed below:

• Align NACs selection criteria with the policies and strategies promoted by each institution, which may be regional, cultural, or academic.
• Define an action plan for each NAC based on the objectives and activities to be developed.
• Prioritize participation with those NACs that offer opportunities that benefit the HEIs community, such as grants, scholarships, financing, training, access to information sources, mobility opportunities, new technologies, and others.
• Assess the cost-benefit of participation in the short, medium, and long terms.
• Promote participation in specific NACs that allow diversifying collaboration, as well as establishing presence and leadership in regions and/or countries of interest.
• Prioritize alliances with NACs that are considered cutting-edge in the specific area of knowledge of interest in order to access relevant information and the experience of best practices.
• Remain active as a member of NACs and establish evaluation mechanisms to measure results to define new initiatives or, if necessary, reorient participation.

Summarizing, participation in NACs is central in todays HEIs performance because none of them—as happens with knowledge itself—develops in an isolated form and therefore it is convenient to articulate collaboration in order to make it more effective and to gain benefit for our academic communities. In the case of UNAM, given its macro-university characteristics, its respect to autonomy, its mission, its main activities and its dispersion in the territory, participating in NACs achieves huge dimensions, as can be seen in the infographic in pages XXXXX, which shows a nonexhaustive approach to the many NACs in which our university participates.

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