The Shape of Global Higher Education: International Comparisons with Europe (original) (raw)

Regional perspectives on higher education in Europe

H igher education leaders today recognize the urgency of developing an international strategy for their institutions but often lack the knowledge and perspective needed to inform good decisions. Students are graduating into an increasingly integrated international environment that, while offering exciting opportunities, also presents many challenges. Institutions must create educational environments where students will begin to appreciate the complexity of global integration but also develop skills to navigate it successfully. Faculty are seeking opportunities to collaborate with colleagues in other countries, to develop globally-attuned academic programs, and to expand research networks and collaborative projects. International outreach and initiatives enrich institutional culture but must be based on good information and analysis.

Internationalisation as a challenge for higher education in Europe

Tertiary Education and Management, 1999

Internationalisation' became a key theme in the 1990s both in higher education policy debates and in higher education research. Starting off from a heterogeneous set of phenomena, internationalisation does not merely mean varying border-crossing activities on the rise anymore, but rather substantial changes: first, from a predominantly 'vertical' pattern of cooperation and mobility towards the dominance of international relationships on equal terms; second, from casuistic action towards systematic policies of internationalisation; third, from disconnection of specific international activities on the one hand and on the other internationalisation of the core activities towards an integrated internationalisation of higher education. Though higher education policy remains predominantly shaped on a national level and tends to underscore specific traditions and conditions of individual countries, the responsibility of individual institutions of higher education in Europe for their own future grows in the process internationalisation which is accompanied, among others, by growing pressure for diversity and increasing popularity of managerialism as well as by a policy of the European Commission which seems to favour de-nationalisation of higher education.

The internationalization of European higher education institutions

Knowledge, Diversity and Performance in European Higher Education A Changing Landscape Edited by Andrea Bonaccorsi, 2014

The notion that higher education has become more international, and should become even more, has been repeatedly affirmed in the recent debate. However, studies on this issue have been limited to analyses at aggregate country level or to case studies of small samples of higher education institutions. The EUMIDA project provides an opportunity to fill a gap in our knowledge of the internationalization phenomenon. By focusing on microdata it is possible to investigate which factors are associated with high and low levels of internationalization, at the country level but also at the level of individual institutions. Internationalization is a complex construct, which requires careful definition and can be measured through several indicators (Horn et al., 2007). Several studies, as well as public policies, have focused on temporary mobility. Instead, we focus on indicators of long-term mobility such as the share of foreign undergraduate students, PhDs and academic staff. These indicators reflect pivotal effects in academic activity; thus, any relevant process affecting their composition is also likely to affect institutional functioning. The chapter is organized as follows. In the first section we introduce the conceptual framework by describing the main rationales for internationalization and discussing several explanatory variables at country and institutional level. The empirical section describes the level of internationalization of European higher education institutions, while the conclusions discuss the main findings and the open issues for further research.

Internationalisation of higher education: European experiences

Asia Pacific Education Review, 2009

Internationalisation' is generally defined as increasing cross-border activities amidst persistence of borders, while 'globalisation' refers to similar activities concurrent to an erosion of borders. Study mobility is viewed as the most visible component in this framework in Europe with ERASMUS as the largest scheme of temporary mobility. ERASMUS was a trigger for a qualitative leap of internationalisation strategies and policies since the 1990s: towards cooperation and mobility on equal terms, and towards systematic and strategic internationalisation. The 'Bologna Process' aimed to make higher education more attractive to students from other parts of the world and to facilitate intra-European mobility; however, many other activities are needed to stimulate mobility, and the Bologna Process pursues many other objectives. It remains to be seen whether supra-national and national policies and institutional strategies will continue to opt for wide-ranging cooperation based on mutual trust or whether the 'competition paradigm' will determine the scene. Keywords Internationalisation Á Mobility Á International cooperation Á Bologna process Á ERASMUS programme The role of internationalisation in higher education discourses and policies

Strategies for Higher Education in a Global Context

Economics World

The growth of internationalization of higher education, both in developed and in emergent countries is a result of globalization. In spite of the growing literature on higher education, results from the process of internationalization, its benefits and risks, have not been widely discussed. Studies of different internationalization strategies and comparative analysis are also scarce. This paper contributes, on the one hand, towards, a reflexion on those topics by reviewing literature on the evolution of strategies and suggesting guidelines for a national strategy for Higher Education (HE); on the other hand, by analysing recent data, compares the scope of high education internationalization among European and other countries. There has been an evolution from mobility of students and staff towards transnationalization of courses and services/products from higher education institution (HEI). Global surveys point to different approaches to internationalization and different results and perceptions. The view that internationalization is a condition for high performance of higher education institutions and national competitiveness does not appear to be clearly supported by evidence.

Internationalisation of Higher Education in Europe: Future Directions

This chapter brings together the results of the study 'Internationalisation of Higher Education', commissioned by the European Parliament (EP). The overall objective of this study was to scrutinise internationalisation strategies in higher education, with a particular focus on Europe. The study provides an overview of the main global and European trends and related strategies at the European, national, and institutional level, but also of the underlying gist of what internationalisation is and should be aiming for, in the form of a scenario for its future.