Hybrid Mobility: The Future of Internationalization and Student Mobility in East Africa

Abstract

Internationalization and student mobility are topical issues in higher education. Universities continue to invest in increasing inbound student mobility and how to produce globally competent graduates. However, only a small percentage of higher education students benefit from mobility. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic introduced several changes that constituted the responses to the challenges posed by this pandemic. The most prominent responsewas the change from the traditional modes of teaching to web-based ones. Considering such changes, the nature of student mobility during the post-pandemic period is not clear.With the limited technological development, it is not clearwhether universities in the Global South will continue to exploit the COVID-19 responses for student mobility. This paper explores the possibilities of hybrid student mobility as an alternative to the traditional students’ physical mobility across national borders. Through a systematic literature review, the paper points out the benefits of adopting hybrid mobility and the limitations towards achieving the desired end. The paper is based on the Connectivism Learning Theory, which underscores the importance of technology in teaching and learning. With this theory, the authors argue that technology can be incorporated into the teaching and learning processes to make student mobility more inclusive.