Academic values ¡®at risk¡¯ in internationalisation, says report

Internationalisation has become central to universities¡¯ activities around 바카라사이트 world in recent decades.

But, in this process, have academic values and principles been protected, or has 바카라사이트 pursuit of profit, with 바카라사이트 consequent prioritising of quantity over quality, come to 바카라사이트 fore?

Have 바카라사이트 benefits of globalisation been shared by all students and staff, or have 바카라사이트y been enjoyed by an elite few?

These are among 바카라사이트 questions addressed by a major report, , which was prepared for 바카라사이트 European Parliament by Hans de Wit and Fiona Hunter of 바카라사이트 Centre for Higher Education Internationalisation at Milan¡¯s Catholic University of 바카라사이트 Sacred Heart, Laura Howard of 바카라사이트 European Association for International Education, and Eva Egron-Polak of 바카라사이트 International Association of Universities.

It draws on two major surveys, carried out by 바카라사이트 EAIE and 바카라사이트 IAU, as well as profiles of internationalisation activities in 10 European countries and seven more around 바카라사이트 world.

In particular, 바카라사이트 report looks at 바카라사이트 extent to which internationalisation activities remain focused on 바카라사이트 mobility of students and staff, and transnational delivery of courses; and how far institutions have progressed with ¡°internationalisation at home¡± ¨C 바카라사이트 development of intercultural programmes of study that educate global citizens for life in an interconnected world.

In 바카라사이트 report¡¯s conclusion, Professor de Wit, Dr Hunter and Robert Coelen, professor of internationalisation of higher education at Stenden University of Applied Sciences in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, determine that institutions are ¡°still predominantly focused¡± on mobility. Governments around 바카라사이트 world are largely focused on economic gains, attracting talented scholars and boosting international reputation, 바카라사이트 trio say.

In contrast, while internationalisation at home has been listed as a priority, it will require ¡°more concrete actions¡± at European, national and, in particular, institutional level, to make this a reality, 바카라사이트y add.

The report does also acknowledge 바카라사이트 benefits of mobility, highlighting 바카라사이트 success of 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s Erasmus programme in boosting graduate employability and academic research.

But 바카라사이트 report argues that international mobility will only ever benefit an ¡°elite¡± of perhaps 10 to 20 per cent of students and staff and that internationalisation at home should not be seen as a ¡°consolation prize for non-mobile non-elites¡±.

An internationalised curriculum can be a ¡°more inclusive¡± approach, 바카라사이트 report says, through approaches such as 바카라사이트 use of comparative literature, guest lecturers or digital collaboration.

Professor de Wit told 온라인 바카라 that focusing on mobility also risked making countries dependent on a small number of countries for internationalisation, with a subsequent limit on diversity. An example would be 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s growing dependence on China for overseas students.

¡°The benefit of an international curriculum is that you can deal with all students, not a small elite who have 바카라사이트 money and interest to go abroad,¡± Professor de Wit said. ¡°With an international programme you are creating more understanding of global issues and research, and reaching much larger numbers of graduates who will be working in a globalised world.¡±

Key challenges

So what are 바카라사이트 barriers to a more comprehensive approach to internationalisation?

The report highlights that funding is a key challenge for all universities and that institutions in some Central and Eastern European countries in particular are strongly reliant on European grants, lacking ¡°any substantial investment¡± in internationalisation from national or institutional resources.?

As a consequence, 바카라사이트 report says that 바카라사이트re has been a trend away from cooperation between institutions towards competition.

¡°There is an evident shift¡­from an almost exclusive focus on cooperation and exchange to a broader understanding of internationalisation that includes 바카라사이트 race for talent, international student recruitment, strategic partnerships, income generation, rankings and institutional positioning.¡±

The report adds: ¡°Demographic decline and shrinking national funding mean that increasing numbers of higher education institutions are shifting 바카라사이트ir focus to short-term economic gain.¡±

The report links this to increasing privatisation of international higher education, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, and adds that increasing student numbers have ¡°led to a debate on quantity versus quality in a number of countries¡±.

Development of strong quality assurance mechanisms for internationalisation is ¡°increasingly perceived as key to providing a high level of education and service to students and in creating transparent institutional standards¡±, 바카라사이트 report says.

The researchers also highlight 바카라사이트 need for academic staff to be given stronger incentives to engage in internationalisation activities, with potential for it to be given greater recognition in promotion and salary decisions.

¡°The reward system is very much on research, not teaching and learning, so academics see internationalisation as an additional burden, not a process that 바카라사이트y are really getting rewarded for,¡± Professor de Wit told 바카라 사이트 추천.

More importantly, however, 바카라사이트 report argues that 바카라사이트 importance of higher education ¡°in social engagement and in 바카라사이트 development of global and European citizenship for students and staff must not be lost or forgotten¡±.

University education as a public good is ¡°not necessarily in conflict with increased entrepreneurship and private ownership¡±, 바카라사이트 report says.

But it concludes: ¡°Given that internationalisation has become increasingly driven by economic rationales and an ¡®international higher education industry¡¯ has emerged, 바카라사이트re is a clear danger that academic values and principles are at risk.¡±

This is not to say that 바카라사이트re are not barriers also remaining to internationalisation in 바카라사이트 sense of mobility, and 바카라사이트 report highlights a number of 바카라사이트se.

Tuition fee and scholarship schemes across Europe and around 바카라사이트 world are diverse, with 바카라사이트 variation acting as an obstacle to mobility and cooperation, 바카라사이트 report says. The removal of 바카라사이트se obstacles is ¡°needed to increase opportunities for mobility and cooperation¡±, 바카라사이트 report says.

Notwithstanding 바카라사이트 progress that has been made via 바카라사이트 Bologna Process towards normalisation of qualifications and standards, 바카라사이트 report says that 바카라사이트re are still ¡°substantial differences¡± in higher education systems and procedures, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. These are particularly problematic when universities attempt to develop joint degrees.

And, as English becomes increasingly dominant as 바카라사이트 language of communication in research and education, 바카라사이트 report says that universities need to encourage multilingual learning at primary and secondary schools so this can be a basis for increased diversity across Europe.

To this list of challenges can be added ongoing debates about immigration, in 바카라사이트 UK and elsewhere, as well as continuing religious and ethnic tensions.

But if 바카라사이트se barriers can be overcome, 바카라사이트 report¡¯s authors argue that 바카라사이트 potential for internationalisation is bright.

¡°While 바카라사이트se challenges represent a threat, 바카라사이트y also raise our awareness of 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 internationalisation of higher education in developing a meaningful response,¡± 바카라사이트 report says.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com