Updated Definition of Internationalization

Abstract

F or over 20 years now, the definition of internationalization has been the subject of much discourse. Internationalization is not a new term. The term has been used for centuries in political science and governmental relations, but its popularity in the education sector has really only soared since the early 1980s. Prior to this time, international education was the favored term and still is in some countries. In the 1990s, the discussion on using the term international education centered on differentiating it from comparative education, global education, and multicultural education. Today, in the first decade of the 21st century, another set of related terms is emerging that includes transnational education, borderless education, and cross-border education. The term borderless first appeared in Australian and U.K. reports in 2000. Basically, the term refers to the blurring of conceptual, disciplinary, and geographic borders traditionally inherent to higher education. It is interesting to juxtapose the term borderless education with cross-border education. The former term acknowledges the disappearance of borders while the latter term actually emphasizes their existence. Both approaches reflect the reality of today. In this period of unprecedented growth in distance and e-learning education, geographic borders seem to be of little consequence. Yet, there is growing importance attached to borders when the focus turns to regulatory responsibility, especially related to quality assurance, funding, and accreditation.

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“…Strategia japońska jest zorientowana głównie na eksport swoich usług, kultury i wartości. Z kolei podejście kooperacyjne wyraża gotowość instytucji akademickich na korzystanie z doświadczeń renomowanych uczelni zagranicznych 61 .…”

Internationalization in Higher Education in Russia: Challenges, Lessons and Prospects of Collaboration with Vietnam

“…Internationalization of higher education is usually defined as "the process of integrating an international, intercultural, or global dimension into the purpose, functions or delivery of postsecondary education" [1]. Though according to many experts, the main factor which affects national systems of education is the economic ideology of globalization, which accentuates priority of the market and the declining role of the government sector in education, internationalization in education in some of its aspects is not a new phenomenon.…”