Internationalization of Higher Education in Latin America: Zooming in the Proximities and Distances Between Brazil and Peru

Abstract

This study offers a reflection on the process of internationalization of higher education (IHE) in Latin America, zooming in on the proximities and distances between Brazil and Peru. These countries are contextualized within regional and global frameworks to contrast their IHE processes. To this end, data was collected from the official websites of 118 public higher education institutions (HEIs) in those countries – 69 Brazilian federal universities and 49 Peruvian national universities. A quantitative analysis was conducted to identify explicit evidence of internationalization through website menus and search tools. Results show that most of the Brazilian universities and 65.31% of Peruvian HEIs presented some evidence of internationalization, carried out through different strategies. Brazilian universities tended to highlight mobility programs, partnerships, multilingual resources, and international offices, while Peruvian universities emphasized participation in regional networks, virtual mobility, and government-supported guides. The study suggests that while Brazil leads this process in terms of international rankings and research output, Peru appears more intentional in communicating internationalization efforts online. This analysis underscores the need for inclusive, situated, and multidimensional approaches to internationalization in the Latin America.