Development of a Framework for the Digitalization of Higher Education Based on a Comparative Analysis of Global Experiences Across Over 40 Countries

The digital transformation of higher education has been recognized as an inevitable necessity in addressing the complex challenges of the contemporary era. This transformation has been understood to demand coherent and comprehensive policies and frameworks. Despite extensive efforts in this domain, most existing studies have been found to primarily focus on technical and educational aspects while lacking an integrated approach for systematically analyzing all key drivers of digital transformation. As a result, the comprehensive identification of factors influencing the development and advancement of digital transformation in higher education has been hindered. In this study, a theoretical and policy-oriented framework for the digitalization of higher education was developed through a comparative analysis of policies and experiences from 40 countries with varying levels of digital maturity. The overarching dimensions of digital transformation were identified from a holistic perspective—one in which dispersed evidence was integrated through systematic data aggregation and qualitative synthesis to construct an evidence-based strategic model. Using a qualitative meta-synthesis approach, six key dimensions of digital policy-making were identified: infrastructure, digital teaching and learning, capability assessment, stakeholder engagement, macro-level strategies, and cultural mindset shift. The findings were used to provide an evidence-informed guide for formulating actionable and context-specific strategies to accelerate digital transformation in higher education. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the concurrent integration of these dimensions can serve as a robust foundation for designing effective national and institutional policies in this critical domain.