The Internationalization of Higher Education Truisms and Challenges'

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The Internationalization of Higher Education
Truisms and Challenges.

• Lars Haikola
• Rektor Blekinge Tekniska Högskola

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• Internationalization at Syddansk Universitet
  must decrease!

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• Internationalization at Syddansk Universitet
  must decrease!
• This is impossible to propose today
• Why is Internationalization of HE so highly
  esteemed today?!

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The Internationalization of Higher Education -
Outline

• the Selfevident Aspect
• Aims
• Means
• the Ambivalent Aspect
• the Positive Aspect
• the Negative Aspect
• HE as an International Project
• HE as a National Project
• Challenges.

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The Selfevident I

• What is Internationalization?
• Internationalisation of higher education is the
  process of integrating an international/
  intercultural dimension into the teaching,
  research and service functions of the
  institution.
• J Knight 1997 Internationalisation of higher
  education a conceptual framework

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The Selfevident II

• Internationalization of higher education is
  self-evidently of high value, even
• Internationalization of higher education is an
  aim in itself!

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Aims

• Many different stakeholders
• Students, faculty and other staff members, the
  Department, the Faculty, the University, the
  Nation

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Aims II

• To respond to globalisation
• To solve research problems that are global.
• To enhance understanding of different cultures.
• To strenghten development and democratisation.
  Solidarity.
• To support the welfare of the country.
• To prepare students for an international
  labour-market.
• To raise quality in education and research.
• To recruit good students and staff.
• To create a network
• To make your university visible. PR!
• To satisfy natural curiosity.
• To promote personal development.

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Means in Int. of Research

• Joint research programs
• Joint publishing
• Guest-researchers
• Scientific conferences
• Etc.

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Means in int. of education

• Student exchange
• Staff exchange
• Teachers with international background or
  experience
• Programs for international students, mainly in
  English
• Joint degrees
• International perspective in all education
• Minor Field Studies
• International work-placement
• Internationalization at home
• Course literature in foreign languages
• Foreign Language Studies
• Cultural and area studies
• International disciplines, International Law.
• etc.

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Means, in summary

• There are a lot of instruments for strenghtening
  internationalization of HE not only student
  exchange!

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The Ambivalent Aspect

• Internationalization
• Kosmopolitism
• Globalisation
• Multiculture

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The Ambivalent Aspect II

• Cf. The classical distinction in marxism
• Internationalisierung und Internationalismus.

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The Positive Aspect I

• Studying abroad results in
• Acquiring new knowledge and competencies
• Improving knowledge of foreign language
• Familiarization with new teaching methods as well
  as new scientific equipment, organization of
  laboratories, etc.
• Opportunities to purchase books, software, etc.
• Establishing new personal contacts, professional
  networking, etc.
• Familiarization with another country, its
  institutions and their functions
• Personal development and building of confidence.
• Jan Sadlak 1998 Globalization and Concurrent
  Challenges for Higher Education

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The Positive Aspect II

• But benefits are difficult to measure
• Most of them are experienced values
• The benefits of internationalization in HE are to
  a large extent taken for granted!

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The Negative Aspect

• Prejudices gets stronger!
• Homogenizing, making all education similar and
  monocultural.
• Expensive and heavy routines.

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HE as an International Project I

• Finance and Trading
• Music and Entertainment
• Higher Education

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HE as an International Project I

• Finance and Trading
• Music and Entertainment
• Higher Education
• The Anti-globalisation movement

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HE as an International Project III

• Int. of HE as an aim in itself
• 1 The idea of the scientific revolution. HE,
  knowledge and research are borderless.
• 2 The idea of the Enlightenment. Freedom of
  speech, the freedom of the individual, the search
  for truth, to be useful for others.

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HE as an International Project IV

• HE today
• 3 In research internationalization is
  fundamental.
• 4 Challenges are in common all over the world

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Challenges of HE

• Massification and diversification
• globalisation and increased emphasis on
  international excellence
• increased demand for public accountability
• increased drive for commercialisation of higher
  education,
• focus on education for work and employability of
  graduates
• from public to private funding of higher
  education
• general individualisation of society
• new stakeholders in higher education.

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HE as a National Project I

• Internationalization presupposes nations
• Universities are created for national and
  imperialistic purposes
• Education is important for the identity of the
  nation
• HE is is planned by national rules and mainly for
  national labour markets
• HE shall promote national welfare and growth -
  Redbricks, Land Grant universities
• Research is mainly nationally funded and the
  results aims at national advantage.

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HE as a National Project II

• The idea of the University is international or
  rather non-national but as an institution the
  University is national.

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Challenges

• Make use of more instruments for The
  Internationalization of HE. Student Exchange is
  working, but is not enough.
• The Bolognaprocess may become an extended
  European-national project by the claim for a
  European Dimension. True Internationalization
  does not stop at any borders.

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• Thank you!