The domain of national education systems has been identified as one of the richest areas for exploring questions about globalization, particularly the degree of worldwide convergence in educational institutions. This article addresses questions about the transnational production and institutionalization of educational models through a historical examination of higher education in the southern African country of Malawi. It spans a 40-year period from the establishment of the first university just after the nation's independence from Britain in 1964 through 2004. This article builds on previous scholarship dealing with the origin and diffusion of institutional models across national boundaries--specifically, the institutionalist approach, as well as qualitative investigations--by highlighting the explanatory value of bringing a network approach to the analysis. (Contains 1 table and 10 footnotes.)