As global competition intensifies, international higher education institutions must develop strong organisational agility to remain competitive. However, the sector’s traditional emphasis on volume-driven massification frequently generates bureaucratic rigidities that constrain adaptation within international operations. While dynamic capabilities theory addresses such environmental volatility, its predominantly macro-level focus offers limited insight into how universities adapt internally.
To address this gap, this paper examines the cognitive microfoundations of dynamic capabilities, within the context of internationalisation, focusing on how the intelligent knowledge of international academic leaders facilitates strategic renewal and sustainable internationalisation. Building on this perspective, the paper proposes a conceptual framework that links individual-level cognition to organisational-level adaptation.
The research adopts a qualitative, comparative methodology, examining three structurally distinct Hungarian universities governed by different operational models: a traditional state university, a centralised public institution, and a market-oriented private university. Data were collected via in-depth interviews with senior leaders responsible for international affairs. Using the proposed framework, the analysis maps leaders’ cognitive capabilities onto the key stages of dynamic capabilities: sensing, seizing, and transforming.
The findings suggest that managerial cognition plays a critical role in enabling agility in international higher education. Process-oriented expertise allows executives to detect emerging global shifts, while experience-based judgement helps reconcile financial pressures with academic values under conditions of uncertainty. In addition, contextual awareness allows leaders to interpret external demands in ways that reduce internal resistance during organisational change. The results also indicate that governance structures significantly shape these processes: while market-oriented institutions rely on rapid structural adjustments, state-funded universities depend more heavily on individual leadership to overcome institutional inertia and build organisational resilience.
From a practical perspective, the study highlights the importance of developing multidimensional cognitive competencies among international academic leaders, rather than relying solely on formal administrative procedures. To ensure continuity in internationalisation strategies, individual expertise should be embedded within institutional processes and practices.
By introducing a micro-level perspective on dynamic capabilities, the paper shows how managerial cognition can support sustainable internationalisation in institutions outside the global elite tier. The study contributes to a more context-sensitive understanding of academic agility, demonstrating that institutional resilience in international operations can be built without uncritically importing corporate management models.