Factors affecting the internationalization of medical education from the viewpoints of lecturers of Semnan University of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Introduction: Nowadays, under the influence of global events and conditions, universities have become institutions to strengthen scientific and educational exchanges, and this role is affected by the two phenomena of globalization and internationalization. Globalization has created a transnational nature for technical and scientific capacities in the world and has influenced the expansion of the international higher education market. The internationalization of higher education refers to the set of activities related to the development of inter-university scientific exchanges and cooperation. In other words, it is a process by which a university integrates the international dimension in its teaching, research, and service functions. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors affecting the internationalization of medical education from the viewpoints of lecturers at Semnan University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This study was applied in terms of purpose and was conducted in a descriptive and cross-sectional method. The statistical population included all lecturers (faculty and non-faculty members) of Semnan University of Medical Sciences in the academic years 2019-2020. According to Cochran’s formula, 155 lecturers were selected as the research sample. Correspondingly, The research instrument was a questionnaire based on the 5-point Likert scale and covered 7 domains. The content validity of the instrument was determined using the viewpoints of the panel of experts. The reliability of the questionnaire was calculated by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.82. Results: Analysis showed that among the factors mentioned from the viewpoints of lecturers at Semnan University of Medical Sciences, equipment-technological factors (mean of 4.23 out of 5), then structural-academic factors (mean of 4.11), and content-educational factors (mean of 4.04) have the effective factors on the internationalization of medical education at Semnan University of Medical Sciences. Conclusion: It can be acknowledged that to expand the internationalization of the university, the equipment-technological, structural-academic, and content-educational factors must be considered by managers and those who are involved in the evolution and innovation packages in medical education.