Approaches to Internationalisation and Their Implications for Strategic Management and Institutional Practice

By Fabrice Hénard, Leslie Diamond, Deborah Roseveare. Approaches to Internationalisation and Their Implications for Strategic Management and Institutional Practice - A Guide for Higher Education Institutions.
Why focus on internationalisation?
Internationalisation of higher education is not new. Many of the earliest scholars travelled widely in Europe, but in the early modern era the focus on national development and internationalisation became marginalised. Nonetheless, initiatives such as the Fulbright Scholars Program in the United States and the Erasmus Mundus Programme in Europe have aimed to promote mutual understanding and encourage collaboration among higher education institutions. Today, however, the accelerating rate of globalisation has focussed attention once again on student mobility, international research collaboration and education as an export industry.
In today’s age of global knowledge and technology, an interconnected network and global awareness are increasingly viewed as major and sought-after assets. With the current labour market requiring graduates to have international, foreign language and intercultural skills to be able to interact in a global setting, institutions are placing more importance on internationalisation. The number of students enrolled in higher education outside their country of citizenship practically doubled from 2000 to 2010 (OECD, 2012a) and this trend is likely to continue.
However, student mobility is simply the most visible part of a greater topic, namely internationalisation, which is more complex and multifaceted. One aspect, sometimes referred to as internationalisation at home, consists of incorporating intercultural and international dimensions into the curriculum, teaching, research and extracurricular activities and hence helps students develop international and intercultural skills without ever leaving their country (OECD, 2004; Wächter, 2003). Other fast-growing forms of internationalisation are emerging (e.g. transnational education sometimes delivered through off-shore campuses, joint programmes, distance learning, etc.) and suggest a more farreaching approach, especially where higher education is now seen as an integral part of the global knowledge economy.
Globalisation has major implications for the higher education sector, notably on the physical and virtual mobility of students and faculty, information and knowledge, virtual access, and sharing of policies and practices. In many OECD countries, the transition from elite to mass participation in higher education is virtually complete. As the size of the 18 to 25 year-old age group declines, some of these countries are facing a decrease in domestic enrolments and attracting foreign students is increasingly seen as a way to compensate. Simultaneously, in emerging economies – especially China, India and in Southeast Asia – there is an ever growing demand for higher education and internationalisation may be regarded as a costeffective alternative to national provision (OECD, 2008).
The landscape of internationalised higher education is rapidly evolving. New countries and institutions are entering the global talent pool and challenging the established position of the traditional champions of international education. The English language is dominating new programmes and campuses are being built to welcome an increasing number of students from emerging economies. New forms of institutions, programmes and teaching methods are being set up. In addition, the effects of the economic and financial crises are far-reaching and long-lasting, changing the flows of students and faculty across continents as well as brain circulation.
Expected benefits of internationalisation
One of the main goals of internationalised higher education is to provide the most relevant education to students, who will be the citizens, entrepreneurs and scientists of tomorrow. Internationalisation is not an end in itself, but a driver for change and improvement – it should help generate the skills required in the 21st century, spur on innovation and create alternatives while, ultimately, fostering job creation. Yet the current economic climate calls for a closer examination of the tangible benefits of internationalisation for the economies and societies of, and beyond, the OECD.
Today, internationalisation functions as a two way street. It can help students achieve their goals to obtain a quality education and pursue research. It gives students an opportunity for “real world, real time” experiential learning in areas that cannot simply be taught. Institutions, on the other hand, may gain a worldwide reputation, as well as a foothold in the international higher education community, and rise to meet the challenges associated with globalisation. The top five reasons for internationalising an institution (Marmolejo, 2012) are, in order of importance, to:
- improve student preparedness
- internationalise the curriculum
- enhance the international profile of the institution
- strengthen research and knowledge production
- diversify its faculty and staff
Despite dramatic variations between countries and institutions, there is a general consensus that internationalisation can – when part of a broader strategy – offer students, faculty and institutions valuable benefits. It can spur on strategic thinking leading to innovation, offer advantages in modernising pedagogy, encourage student and faculty collaboration and stimulate new approaches to learning assessments. With the infusion of internationalisation into the culture of higher education, students and educators can gain a greater awareness of the global issues and how educational systems operate across countries, cultures and languages. Research is inherently internationalised through collaborations and partnerships amongst teams, and most scientific projects can no longer remain nationally-bound.
The many aspects and complexity of internationalisation raise various challenges for policy makers (e.g. on optimising mobility flows, equal access to international education, protecting students and quality assurance [OECD, 2008]). Likewise, institutions must be responsive and orchestrate all of these various aspects consistently in order to reap the benefits of internationalisation as well as manage the risks. For example, internationalisation of programmes entails refining support for students and paying closer attention to students with ever more demanding expectations in terms of quality of pedagogy, student assessments and the learning environment.
Internationalisation brings with it many challenges to the status quo. It introduces alternative ways of thinking, it questions the education model, and it impacts on governance and management. It will raise unexpected issues and likely benefits. All of these have a different impact, meaning and import for institutions in countries of varying degrees of social or political development. Key concerns of internationalisation include ways to sustain and enhance the quality of learning and ensure the credibility of credentials in a global world.
The key role of governments in internationalisation
Government policy might be motivated by the desire to attract skilled workers, to export education services, to promote development or to exercise “soft-power”. Governments also know that the nation’s credibility will be affected if its higher education institutions are abusing their international trust. The involvement of governments in internationalisation is therefore twofold: supporting the expansion of internationalisation and safeguarding its quality.
At the same time, whilst institutions are gaining more autonomy, their expansion beyond national borders can be fostered or hampered by government policy. Thus, the synergies and inconsistencies of institutional strategies and national policies on internationalisation should be better understood. Investigating the interconnecting relationships between the various actors, first between institutions and their governments, is of utmost importance to grasp the complexity of internationalised higher education.
Why internationalisation matters for higher education institutions Internationalisation enables higher education institutions to:
- increase national and international visibility;
- leverage institutional strengths through strategic partnerships;
- enlarge the academic community within which to benchmark their activities;
- mobilise internal intellectual resources;
- add important, contemporary learning outcomes to student experience;
- develop stronger research groups.
Why internationalisation matters for governments Internationalisation enables governments to:
- develop national university systems within a broader, global framework;
- produce a skilled workforce with global awareness and multi-cultural competencies;
- use public higher education funds to promote national participation in the global knowledge economy;
- benefit from trade in education services.