Leadership and management in the internationalization of higher education

Today, the increasing attention to the issue of the internationalization of higher education institutions has occupied the minds of nation's leaders. In this regard, the internationalization of higher education and its effective management is a process to respond to the challenges of globalization. The purpose of this research was to give a brief introduction to the concept of internationalization and globalization and their distinctive features. Moreover, effective leadership and management for internationalization in the field of higher education were identified. In order to achieve the goals of this research, a qualitative research design was used to examine internet scientific information sources, information sources, reports, and semi- structured interviews with international executives of Islamic Azad University. For data analysis, descriptive and analytical methods were utilized. The results of the research showed that there are clear distinctions between the definitions of internationalization and globalization in higher education. In order to achieve the desired level of internationalization of higher education, four main areas should be managed and led including environmental analysis, development of a coherent and targeted strategic plan, implementation and organization of infrastructures and continuous and effective monitoring and evaluation. It seems that relying on the effective leadership and management, strategic planning and the implementation of continuous and plan related activities, the future of internationalization of higher education is potentially promising in Iran.