Implementation and Collaboration in the United States-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program

Abstract

This case study examines the experiences of the government and academic personnel in the United States-Brazil Higher Education Consortia Program. It addresses the overall question, "What factors influence the successful implementation of international higher education collaborations?" The participants include representatives from the two government sponsoring agencies and one four-institution consortium project. The findings reveal that there were certain conditions that facilitated the successful implementation of the consortium project. These conditions are categorized into six themes: partner equality and mutuality, partner characteristics, partner relationship, finances, strategies, and staffing. The findings also reveal that the participants did not consider national culture to be a significant factor in the implementation and collaboration experience. This research is particularly relevant to the international higher education community because it focuses on the project director rather than the student perspective, addresses implementation factors rather than discipline-specific matters or student outcomes, and directly impacts an institution's ability to conceptualize and implement international collaborative initiatives.