The Internationalization of Higher Education: Motivations and Realities

Abstract

Globalization and internationalization are related but not the same thing. Globalization is the context of economic and academic trends that are part of the reality of the 21st century. Internationalization includes the policies and practices undertaken by academic systems and institutions—and even individuals—to cope with the global academic environment. The motivations for internationalization include commercial advantage, knowledge and language acquisition, enhancing the curriculum with international content, and many others. Specific initiatives such as branch campuses, cross-border collaborative arrangements, programs for international students, establishing English-medium programs and degrees, and others have been put into place as part of internationalization. Efforts to monitor international initiatives and ensure quality are integral to the international higher education environment.

L’organisation de l’international par l’occidental : quelques réflexions sur la discrimination par le diplôme au sein des organisations internationales

“…À notre avis, l'objectif n'est pas d'améliorer l'accès du plus grand nombre aux formations universitaires occidentales, comme certaines universités tentent de le faire en ouvrant des branches délocalisées à travers le monde (Altbach et Knight, 2007). L'enjeu, plus large, est celui de l'intégration des compé-tences pensées dans leurs spécificités locales et non au regard de leur conformité par rapport à un modèle défini par les universités occidentales.…”

English-Medium Instruction in European Higher Education

“…Specifically, EMI attracts international staff and students, which increases the institution's visibility, enhances its status, and boosts rankings (Altbach and Knight 2007;Hu 2009;Doiz, Lasagabaster, and Sierra 2011). A justifiable argument is that universities which do not offer courses in English risk international isolation as they will not be able to attract international students (cf.…”

“…Healey 2008;Björkman 2010;Doiz, Lasagabaster, and Sierra 2011). Furthermore, since English is an international language, EMI is indispensable for promoting mobility, cultural diversity, and intercultural understanding (Altbach and Knight 2007;Doiz, Lasagabaster, and Sierra 2013). Closely related to the international dimension of English is the status associated with the language which promotes the belief that English-medium academic institutions offer degrees which provide access to the workplace (Shohamy 2013: 201).…”

“…Instruction in English could create experts who would face difficulties operating in contentspecific areas in their native languages, which could eventually reduce their employability in local environments . Finally, if EMI is largely motivated by prestige, power, and income, it is indeed possible that higher education may become a commodity (Altbach and Knight 2007), which reduces universities to "brands" and students to "consumers" (Coleman 2006: 4).…”

Higher education reforms in Romania. Between the Bologna process and national challenges

“…For over two decades by now it has attracted increasing attention both in the policy arena, at institutional, national, or international level, as well as in the scholarly literature on higher education policy Kehm 2003;Altbach and Knight 2007;Kehm and Teichler 2007;Teichler 2012). Internationalisation of higher education is a global phenomenon affecting all countries of the world.…”