This pilot study presents the preliminary results of a larger qualitative study based
on narratives of organisational change related to the internationalisation of the
doctoral schools of education studies (DSEd) in Hungary, which are characterised by
an inherent ambivalent position of national embeddedness and heightened internationalisation
imperative. The theoretical perspectives for the pilot are grounded on the intersection
of major topics as very few previous studies of precise focus were found. We looked
at internationalisation of the doctoral programmes in general, cases of educational
studies including teacher education, and the developmental theories relevant to the
field of higher education. Semi-structured interviews with four educational professionals
at a research-intensive university in Hungary depict personal narratives and perceptions
of internationalisation – a challenging yet necessary experience. The pilot framework
presents preliminary findings retrieved from the initial sub-sample. Pilot results
picture the fine-grained process of organisational change concerning the internationalisation
implementation based on the perspectives of academic staff whose frame of reference
is a niche in the current discourse.
