Research with International Students (RIS) is pleased to endorse the new academic journal Journal of Global Higher Education (JGHE) as a preferred publication route for critical and creative research related to global higher education and international students. We join the Critical Internationalization Studies Network (CISN) in supporting this new journal.
JGHE is a new academic journal officially launching in 2025 and currently seeking members to join its editorial board. You can find more information about the journal’s aims and scopes and the call for editorial board members here:
We understand scholars might have questions about why we have decided to support this new academic journal, so have written up some FAQs below to complement the journal launch details.
What is the Journal of Global Higher Education, in brief?
JGHE is a new open-access, peer-reviewed scholarly journal which will publish articles broadly related to global higher education. The journal is a community-run scholarly collective which is independent, meaning it is purposefully not attached to an academic publisher. As such, the journal will have more flexibility to publish creative and disruptive pieces which challenge existing norms and practices. The journal intends to publish traditional research articles, but also creative and artistic pieces, critical reflection articles, and practitioner articles. The aim is for the editorial board to change frequently (with most roles having 3-year tenures), ensuring the journal is a space for new and multiple voices. It is a journal that belongs to all of us, as a plural and diverse community.
Why do we need another international higher education journal?
What does this journal offer that others don’t?
JGHE does not see itself in competition with other established journals in this area, many of whom are also making important contributions to the field. However, there are a few significant gaps in current publication routes for scholars working in global higher education, which JGHE will fill:
The first is that there are few routes for no-cost open-access publishing. Other journals on this topic charge prohibitive article processing charges which unethically limit global access to knowledge. JGHE makes a commitment to being fully free to publish in and read, always and forever.
Second, there are few spaces to publish interdisciplinary, creative, and disruptive work which pushes the boundaries of existing framings of global higher education. RIS has heard from many scholars working within our network who find their critical perspectives not well received by reviewers and editors. We want to create a space that welcomes ideas which think outside of the box, publishing work that might be seen as too disruptive or unconventional elsewhere.
Third, JGHE offers additional sections beyond traditional journal articles, including creative pieces, critical reflection articles, and practitioner articles. These are areas with few publication routes in existing journals, meaning JGHE can offer a space for ‘non-traditional’ writing and include scholarly thinking beyond the normative.
But will this journal be a reputable place to publish?
All sections in this journal will be peer reviewed and utmost care will be taken to ensure high-quality feedback. All articles will receive a DOI and be published with journal issue and volume numbers. JGHE intends to be selective with what it publishes and focus on quality rather than quantity. At the same time, we know there are pressures around the world to publish in journals with high impact factors which are indexed (such as via SCOPUS). Achieving this with a new journal takes time, but JGHE hopes to get there in the future. This is another reason why JGHE envisions itself as a complementary addition to the publishing space within higher education studies – the journal cannot hide that it is new and experimental.
Will RIS only share articles from JGHE now?
Certainly not! RIS does not believe in territorial-ness and we will promote work published anywhere, so long as it is critical and reflective. However, JGHE aligns with the network’s values of open access publishing, community-led scholarship, and transformative research. We endorse the journal and encourage network members to consider publishing their work there, while also supporting critical research published through other outlets. We believe a good research field is one where there is a rich publishing environment with an array of options for authors.
How do I get involved?
In the next few months, JGHE will develop the journal’s wider editorial board. If our journal’s mission speaks to you, please consider applying to join at: