The need to enhance international blended mobility in south Asia higher education: the case of Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Vietnam before and during the outbreak of Covid-19

A study in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam, conducted before the COVID-19 outbreak revealed that blended student and teaching staff international mobility based on sharing curriculum resources among different HEIs (higher education institutions) networks was one way to strengthen internationalization due to limited financial resources for live student and teaching staff international mobility. The exploratory research was carried out based on the qualitative research strategy using the expert evaluation method, which engages a group of identified experts in detailed examinations on a particular issue for the purpose of policy investigation, goal setting and forecasting future situations and outcomes (Encyclopedia of Research Design, 2010). The research demonstrated that the internationalization of HEIs was included as the priority of national policies in the examined countries, however, low numbers of international mobility before the outbreak of COVID-19 and the COVID-19 pandemic itself required a significant change in internationalization strategies of HEIs. Lack of funding for short-term international mobility of students and teaching staff was indicated by all countries’ experts as the most important issue of internationalization of South Asian universities before the COVID-19 pandemic. International mobility is expensive and not affordable for every member of academic community. The available funds are not sufficient to finance all willing to study or teach abroad and gain international/intercultural experience. Therefore, experts expressed the need to expand and strengthen the benefits of internationalization to more recipients, and ensure the sustainability of all internationalization efforts, by changing the attitude towards internationalization, strategically investing in and evolving blended international mobility of South Asian universities. Blended mobility through a virtual and short-term physical training abroad is more costeffective and provides more opportunities and addresses the lack of funds. However, the study results also revealed that during the COVID-19 pandemic individual HEIs lacked technical equipment, mastery of use of information and communication technologies, and experience of distance studies, both nationally and internationally. Students in many parts of countries lacked access to technical equipment, faced poor WiFi network or power connectivity, non-affordability of mobile data. In some countries, full delivery of degree studies in a distance mode in HE (higher education), which could strengthen its international dimension by enhancing student and teaching staff international mobility, had not even been allowed by law. Distance learning, indeed, could eventually become the new normal in the post-COVID-19 era increasing access to international mobility and making efficient use of limited national and HEIs resources, which are shrinking in the post-COVID-19 period due to the economic recession. Therefore, the national internationalization policies of these countries must put more emphasis on the technological dimension, support for relevant technology acquisition, distance learning and teaching competencies development, and blended international mobility of academic community in global inter-university networks to share the knowledge internationally.