A decade of evidence from SCOPUS on how business schools can go global without losing sight of sustainability

Abstract The internationalization of higher education has become a central theme in academic research, with business schools playing a pivotal role in shaping global management education. This study examines internationalization processes at the master’s level, emphasizing how sustainability reshapes these trajectories. A systematic bibliometric review of 178 SCOPUS-indexed articles published between 2013 and 2024 was conducted. Keywords were derived from international accreditation standards for business schools, and the final sample was constructed using Boolean logic. The analysis identifies key trends, determinants, and challenges in globalizing business schools. Results reveal that internationalization is strongly associated with student mobility—both physical and virtual—yet important gaps persist between sustainability objectives and lifelong learning within master’s curricula. Although internationalization efforts have expanded considerably, the explicit integration of sustainability into curricula and strategic practices remains limited. To address this gap, the study proposes a prospective framework for operationalizing and measuring the sustainable development goals (SDG) within business school practices, informed by good practices identified in the literature. Moreover, the findings highlight the importance of international accreditation standards explicitly incorporating the 2030 Agenda. By aligning global expansion strategies with sustainability imperatives, the study offers valuable insights for policymakers, accreditation bodies, and academic leaders seeking to advance sustainable internationalization.