Transcending Transactionality in Student Mobility in Latin American Countries

Higher Education Institutions in Latin America have been immersed in an unprecedented dynamic of internationalization in the last decade, especially through student mobility programs and agreements. However, given the instrumental spirit in student mobility, this research in context carries out a critical reflection on "why" and "what for" of the internationalization of higher education with the aim of giving it meaning through the substantive functions of teaching, research, and service. For this, a case study is presented to illustrate how a university seeks to transcend transactionality in student mobility and, in general, how to assume internationalization itself as a strategic objective that adds value to a higher educational purpose. The article also offers recommendations for practices and policy development in internationalization, as well as for future research.