Bibliometric analysis of internationalization trends in European higher education: Collaboration networks and the role of dual-degree programs

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47909/ijsmc.305

Palavras-chave:

university internationalization, European higher education, academic collaboration, dual-degree programs, bibliometric analysis, Bologna Process

Resumo

Objective. To conduct a bibliometric analysis of the scientific production on the internationalization of European higher education, with particular emphasis on academic collaboration networks and the role of joint and dual-degree programs within the framework of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).

Design/Methodology/Approach. A quantitative, descriptive, and exploratory approach was applied using data from the Scopus database (1991–2025). Records were processed with VOSviewer to identify patterns of co-authorship, international collaboration, and keyword co-occurrence. The analysis was structured around three axes: scientific productivity, collaboration networks, and thematic evolution, emphasizing curricular integration mechanisms associated with the Bologna Process.

Results/Discussion. A representative set of articles was identified, showing sustained growth in research on university internationalization, accompanied by a high density of transnational co-authorship led by universities from the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, and France. The keyword co-occurrence maps reveal a conceptual core centered on higher education, internationalization, Bologna Process, and quality assurance, reflecting the consolidation of a mature cognitive structure based on cooperation, mobility, and academic quality.

Conclusions. The internationalization of European higher education has evolved from individual mobility to structured institutional cooperation, consolidating as a strategic process of academic integration and governance. Dual-degree programs represent its most advanced expression, articulating mobility, quality assurance, and curricular convergence under a transnational collaboration model that redefines the identity of the EHEA.

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2025-11-20

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Ospanova, A., Nurgaliyeva, B., Mukanov, M., Nurbayev, Z., & Komekbayev, Y. (2025). Bibliometric analysis of internationalization trends in European higher education: Collaboration networks and the role of dual-degree programs. Iberoamerican Journal of Science Measurement and Communication, 6(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.47909/ijsmc.305

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