Internationalization in Higher Education, a Critical Review

Abstract

How do we understand the evolution of internationalization as a concept? Is a more diverse and inclusive internationalization replacing the western paradigm? Is there a shift in paradigm from cooperation to competition? Do we see an ongoing dominance of the internationalization abroad component at the cost of internationalization at home, or a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to internationalization? And is internationalization a key change agent towards innovation and global social responsibility of higher education? This contribution provides a critical reflection on internationalization in higher education, particularly in the current nationalist, populist and anti-global political climate! The challenges that institutions encounter are divers. There is pressure of revenue generation, competition for talents, and branding and reputation (rankings). There is pressure to focus on international research and publication, on recruitment of international students and scholars, and on the use of English as language of research and instruction. These challenges and pressures conflict with a more inclusive and less elitist approach to internationalization. In other words, there are tensions between a short term neoliberal approach to internationalization, focusing primarily on mobility and research, and a long term comprehensive quality approach, global learning for all.

China’s Internationalized Higher Education During Covid-19: Collective Student Autoethnography

“…Later definitions highlighted that internationalization should be an intentional tool to serve global development goals and foster international partnership and cooperation rather than competition (Van Der Wende 2001). More recent reflections on IHE focus on post-hegemonic academic development, the use of English as the lingua franca, inclusiveness, and tensions between commercial competition under marketization versus intellectual collaboration for quality improvement (Knight 2012;DeWit 2019). In the context of modern nationalism of North America and countries in continental Europe, many are concerned about neoliberal commodification (Marinoni and DeWit 2019), and some scholars identify new critical players in IHE such as China (Altbach and DeWit 2017).…”

Reimagining Internationalization in Higher Education Through the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for the Betterment of Society

“…Undoubtedly, there is pressure of revenue generation, international student and faculty recruitment, competition for the brightest minds, profile and the need to advance research publications in high impact journals, and the use of English as a language of research and instruction (de Wit, 2019). These neoliberal attitudes toward internationalization conflict with the more inclusive and equitable approach to quality education (SDG4).…”

Realization of integrative technologies of physical culture and sports in the institutions of state support of childhood of Russia

“…In the practical implementation of our pedagogical system of resilience, we, firstly, rely on a specially formed moral-volitional core of the child, and secondly, purposefully "wrap" new model characteristics of vitality on the core using physical culture means in the conditions of the Azov Center for Helping Children [13].…”