EMI policy in the Saudi transnational higher education landscape: A case study of BSc Statistics teachers and students
Abstract
Taking as an example one of the Saudi HE institutions, here given the pseudonym of Sun University (S.U.), this study examines EMI policy in a BSc in Statistics program from the perspectives of both teachers and students. Through document analysis and interviews, the study explores: the goals of the EMI program at S.U.; the forms of policy measures taken by the university to realize its goals; and the everyday experiences of the teachers of statistics and the students within the program. The findings have revealed that there is a connection between language goals / ideology, management and practices in SU’s EMI program. Such a connection is reactive to the recent national level of transnational HE policy direction which emphasizes trans/internationalization at-home programs. Nevertheless, it was also found that there is an obvious gap between the support provided by SU’s EMI policy and the everyday pedagogical needs of the individual stakeholders (i.e., the teachers and the students). This gap not only hinders the attainment of SU’s EMI policy goals, but also exposes the ambiguities of TNHE (Transnational Higher Education) in the Saudi context.
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