Governments and higher education institutions see internationalization of higher education as one of the main factors that influence their strategic endeavours in the years to come. When looking at the national level, the drivers of internationalization are linked to economic and geo-political positioning, cultural influences, as well as international competitiveness for knowledge and human capital. Party politics, foreign affairs, economy and immigration policies also play a big role in shaping country level approaches. For universities, prestige factors, disciplinary or constitutive groups’ interests and financial imperatives predominantly drive internationalization policies. Building on the research already undertaken in the frame of my PhD thesis, the paper will look at instances of policy misfit between national and institutional strategic pursuits in the field of internationalization of higher education, in the case of two countries geographically (and perhaps economically) positioned at Europe’s periphery: Romania and Portugal. The research paper will include policy lessons on the role of national/ institutional different drivers and potential policy misalignments in fulfilling strategic objectives at either level.

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