Kim, Min Ji;
Bamberger, Annette;
(2025)
Conceptualizing nation branding in the field of higher education: a systematic literature review.
Journal of Marketing for Higher Education
10.1080/08841241.2025.2567835.
(In press).
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Abstract
This article draws on a qualitative systematic literature review of 40 peer-reviewed articles across multiple disciplines to examine how higher education (HE) is framed within nation branding discourse. Using Kaneva’s, N. (2011. Nation branding: Toward an agenda for critical research. International Journal of Communication, 5(25), 117–141. https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/704/514) tripartite model of nation branding approaches as an analytical lens, we analyze how different perspectives assign roles to HE and reveal the close entanglement between nation branding and the internationalization of HE. We find that the economic-technical approach predominates, often portraying HE as an instrument of national competitiveness. The study identifies key conceptual and geographical gaps and suggests alternative perspectives that could enrich future scholarship and practice. It highlights the need for more inclusive and critically engaged approaches, particularly as global educational alliances, international student flows, and geopolitical landscapes continue to evolve.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Conceptualizing nation branding in the field of higher education: a systematic literature review |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1080/08841241.2025.2567835 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2025.2567835 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. |
| Keywords: | Branding, nation branding, higher education, universities, internationalization, international students |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Education, Practice and Society |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10215495 |
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