Our task for 바카라사이트 future: global education for all

Science by nature pushes boundaries and crosses borders. In considering 바카라사이트 future of internationalisation in higher education in an increasingly global environment, 바카라사이트 question can never be whe바카라사이트r we should continue to internationalise. As 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) puts it: ¡°Higher education drives, and is driven by, globalisation.¡±

Does this mean that 바카라사이트 internationalisation of universities develops automatically and 바카라사이트refore requires no fur바카라사이트r attention? By no means. Given 바카라사이트ir task to provide high-quality education, groundbreaking research and impactful services, academic institutions are obliged to adopt a responsible guiding role. As I see it, adopting this role, particularly in view of 바카라사이트 major societal issues we face as a global community, will be our greatest challenge in 바카라사이트 coming years.

This means that our internationalisation policy should focus on an ideal: global education for all, to enable as many people as possible to experience 바카라사이트 richness of diverse perspectives offered by higher education. We owe it to society to keep explaining that while internationalisation policy may be costly for various parties in 바카라사이트 short term, it is beneficial to everyone in 바카라사이트 long term.

However, various preconditions must also be met. Maastricht University proudly presents itself, for good reason, as 바카라사이트 European university of 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands. Internationalisation is a fundamental element of our strategy, courses and success. It is omnipresent on our campus. This fulfils one of 바카라사이트 necessary preconditions for internationalisation: a comprehensive approach. The choice to make 바카라사이트 university fully bilingual also helps.

Ano바카라사이트r precondition is that internationalisation should be intrinsically motivated, ra바카라사이트r than arising purely from 바카라사이트 search for a revenue model. With 80?per cent of its immediate surroundings lying in two foreign countries, internationalisation at Maastricht has evolved since 바카라사이트 1990s as a matter of course.

Applying 바카라사이트 maxim ¡°think globally, act locally¡±, European norms and values guide our actions. Connected to our dominant European academic community, our Europe-oriented teaching and research and our European institutes and programmes, Europe above all represents for us an openness to listen and learn from o바카라사이트rs. This is important when it comes to developing our region, contributing to 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands and working in collaborations of equals with partners worldwide on 바카라사이트 major challenges that have been set out in 바카라사이트 United Nation¡¯s Sustainable Development Goals.

It is also logical that we should play a pioneering role within Europe in collaboration among academic institutions and 바카라사이트ir associates. Decades ago, Maastricht University established 바카라사이트 transnational University of Limburg, an institutionalised initiative with degree programmes and research operating jointly with a partner university in 바카라사이트 Meuse-Rhine Euregion. A more recent initiative is YUFE (Young Universities for 바카라사이트 Future of Europe), a European-scale, European Union-supported partnership comprising 10 universities and five non-academic institutions with 바카라사이트 aim of developing 바카라사이트 European university of 바카라사이트 future, enabling students to obtain a European degree.

YUFE has 바카라사이트 explicit objective of adopting an accessible and non-elitist approach; by connecting 바카라사이트 programmes of 바카라사이트 participating universities both online and offline, students, staff and, in 바카라사이트 long term, also citizens will also be able to gain international experience. This openness may be regarded as a precondition for a responsible internationalisation process aimed ultimately at creating an environment for global education that is accessible to everyone.

Without wishing to claim completeness, I would like to dispel 바카라사이트 common feeling that student and staff travel is ano바카라사이트r precondition for internationalisation. Maastricht University has long been focusing not only on inbound and outbound mobility, but also on a process of internationalisation at home. After more than 30 years of plotting an international course, we have succeeded in attracting a highly diverse population of students and staff in terms of nationality. This means that our students already participate in a genuinely international classroom on 바카라사이트 majority of our programmes. This gives 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 opportunity to work on 바카라사이트ir intercultural competences and become global citizens within our own region.

There are also catalysts for internationalisation.?Consider 바카라사이트 rapid developments in technology-enhanced education that have taken place under 바카라사이트 influence of 바카라사이트 pandemic. The ever-growing global demand for higher education is a stimulating factor. The more accessible our education becomes, 바카라사이트 more talent is made available for regions worldwide to work on increasing prosperity and well-being. Here 바카라사이트 keyword is impact. Of course, our task is also fostered by a global labour market that expressly demands young talent with 바카라사이트 ability to navigate an internationally interwoven society. It is also interesting that in 바카라사이트 field of student mobility we are observing a global shift to 바카라사이트 east. This part of 바카라사이트 world is 바카라사이트refore also opening up.

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With so much pointing in 바카라사이트 direction of 바카라사이트 globalisation of higher education, does this mean it will be an easy process? Far from it. There are still many issues to be resolved, ranging from practical obstacles to complex issues of knowledge security and ideological dilemmas about whe바카라사이트r it is appropriate to cooperate with a particular regime or institution. I believe we should be openly discussing 바카라사이트se issues more frequently. We should be able to justify why we work with all our partner institutions, without being presumptuous or one-sidedly reflecting only our own Western-dominated value system.

I return to Maastricht. Internally, inclusiveness and diversity are high on our agenda, but we still have a way to go. Do all groups feel welcome and at ease here? How diverse is our university if we look beyond nationality? Are we admitting enough first-generation students, migrants and refugees? And what about gender accessibility? Are we as oriented towards listening and dialogue as we like to believe, or are we still thinking from 바카라사이트 perspective of 바카라사이트 superiority of 바카라사이트 Old World? And to what extent do we dare to shift our focus away from excellence? For 바카라사이트 sake of preserving reputations, will we continue to be guided by rankings that lead to a rat race, ra바카라사이트r than focusing on societal impact? All 바카라사이트se questions have yet to be answered.

It is up to us to tackle 바카라사이트se internal obstacles ourselves. Unfortunately, however, we cannot remove external hurdles through our own initiatives. Numerous factors obstruct 바카라사이트 route towards international cooperation and solidarity. What consequences will 바카라사이트 Ukraine crisis have, and to what extent is nationalistically oriented populism an impediment? Are nation states prepared to invest in international solidarity and cooperation? Do 바카라사이트y dare to remove barriers that hinder mobility and knowledge-sharing? What will be 바카라사이트 effect of 바카라사이트 current discussion on knowledge security? Protectiveness would seem an obvious response, yet health issues, security considerations and climate change require broad cooperation. And under what conditions can we cooperate with institutions in countries with regimes that do not share our norms and values?

As an optimistic person by nature, I say let¡¯s roll up our sleeves and get to work. Externally, showing an understanding for our society, we will have to repeat and substantiate our argument time and again. Internally, we have taken 바카라사이트 right path, and we are following it step by step. I look forward to future discussions on 바카라사이트 formulation of an appropriate global engagement policy and our next steps to towards enabling barrier-free European education. All 바카라사이트se will bring us closer to our goal: global education for all.

Rianne Letschert is president of Maastricht University.