Abstract

The internationalisation of higher education is a tool that strengthens institutions, which has typically been driven by student mobility. This unique life experience can provide valuable feedback on and insight into university policies. The present study explores student experiences with international credit mobility to reveal opportunities for improvement to institutional processes and policies. A faculty at a regional state university in Chile served as a case study. Interviews were conducted with fifteen undergraduate students from three different programmes who had experienced in-person international mobility between 2014 and 2023. Through qualitative thematic analysis, findings emerged in four categories: preparation for mobility, stay at the host university, the contribution of mobility, and transformation through mobility. These results provide new perspectives on how universities can improve their procedures and policies when faced with the changing contexts of and challenges to current internationalisation processes.