Abstract:
This thesis examines the role that open distance learning institutions play in the internationalisation of higher education in Southern Africa. There has, over the past few decades, been a shift in higher education institutions and governments to focus more on international dimensions, specifically internationalisation. Internationalisation is an important component of higher education as it offers mutual benefits for all stakeholders, including the potential for increased international student enrollment, international citizenship for students, revenue generation, and brain gain. Distance education provides a unique opportunity to achieve many of these benefits, including increased international student enrollment and international citizenship for students, but at a larger scale than traditional institutions. As one of the largest providers of distance education in Africa, this study utilises the University of South Africa as a case study.
Incorporating evidence from in-depth interviews, this study shows that distance education institutions create a pathway for a greater number of students to access higher education, and due to their inherent flexibility and affordability, are able to cater to more diverse groups of students, unlike their traditional counterparts. It argues though that despite this, there are numerous challenges that foreign students encounter. These challenges highlight a disparity in how two groups of students (local and international) experience their studies. The study revealed that international students are faced with issues obtaining foreign currency needed to pay their school fees. They also experience difficulties in accessing their learning materials since they are, more often than not, reliant on a failing postal system and an information and communication network that is costly. Despite these difficulties, this study has shown that these students are resilient and find creative ways to overcome these challenges, highlighting the persevering nature of distance learners. As a result, distance education is best suited to meet internationalisation aspirations through increased access, flexibility, and knowledge sharing, through the provision of education to a group of students who would otherwise be excluded from tertiary studies.
