Case Study: Internationalization in National
And Cultural Context
Introduction
Specifically, internationalization has become popular in higher education. Its broader use is due to the rising interest in the international dimension of higher education, specifically during the past few years, which resulted to its emergence as research contexts in its own right. Accordingly, internationalization is seen as an expansion of the conventional commitment of universities to learning and as a knowledge exchanges (Farquhar, 1999). On one hand, internationalization is sometimes thought as a new response to external marketing opportunities, hence its nature has transformed dramatically. While educational system all over the world is promoting internationalization, there are still aspects to be considered. Most people comprehend internationalization in terms of types or categories of activities. The involve academic and extracurricular activities including development of curriculum and innovation, faculty, scholar and student exchange, study areas, technological assistance, intercultural or cross boarder training and education of international students and joint research projects.
Internationalization of education can be seen also as national and cultural activities. In this regard, the process and also the results of the educational research are used to reinforce educational policies and practice and this may have an impact on their factors. Previous research has given emphasis on international education which is regarded as a social phenomenon with various socio-cultural effects at both personal and global level (Urquidi, 2000). The main objective of this paper is to analyse national and cultural context in which internationalization happens. Herein, emphasis will be given on the internationalization of higher education.
Internationalization in Higher Education
Internationalization and globalization of education is considered to be the growing trends in the educational system. It is said that the elements of internationalization is multifaceted and widespread. Its process includes the student flows from one nation to another, particularly from an underdeveloped nation to developed nations. Off-shore campuses and international brands are now dotting the landscape, particularly in middle-income and developing nations. In some colleges and universities, educational programs aim on providing international perspective and cross-cultural abilities to students.
A conceptual understanding of internationalization and globalization is required to make sense of complex and varied manners in influencing higher education in various nations and other parts of the world. In broader terms, the context of globalization refers to trends in higher education which have cross-national implications (Welch, 2007). These aspects include mass higher education, global marketplace for faculty, highly educated personnel and students and the global reach of the information technologies through internet. The context of internationalization also referred to the specific initiative and policies of nations and individual academic institutions or systems to deal with the global and international trends in education like in higher education.
The nature of Higher education in all nations is continuously changing and there is a rapid growth of enrolled students in the international schools (Wachter, 2008). Studies have shown that private education is increasing in line with the public education, and most international education providers are challenging the domestic educational system. For instance, in a study by Hayhoe and Lin (2008), they have found that in China alone, Chinese have moved rapidly to mass higher education which started when they decided to expand on 1999. These changes in the higher education can be attributed with the various market-related demands. Aside from this, other factors that change higher education is the emergence of information technologies, specifically the internet. Accordingly, the application of different information technology in higher education is considered as massive. This creates virtual institution or virtual university for students from different parts of the world (Farquhar, 1999). These changes are said to raise urgent questions regarding the role of the government and the state in terms of funding and regulating higher education. The initiative of the government in most nations are need to adhere to a number of different questions raised by internationalization which cause diversification of both secondary and tertiary education providers.
National and Cultural Context
It can be noted that the context of internationalization is often discussed in line with the globalization and its influence (Peter, 1996). Both terms have contested and multiple definitions with diverse stakeholder. These two are sometimes interchangeably used. Some scholars have defined internationalization to be concerned with the existence of nation’s states, as well as borders and internal circumstances. Since the definition of internationalization in these contexts of higher education, internationalization will be considered in dealing with national and cultural aspects. In terms of exchange and collaborative efforts in education, internationalization is accompanied by both national and cultural mobility of people, institutions and programmes.
In addition, the context of internationalizations also takes the kind of outreach by establishing international bases and branch campuses to give inter-cultural students effective education, research and information services. Moreover, the concept of internationalization prioritizes the ability to provide approaches as methods as institutional and educational transformation on campus and international and cross-cultural education provided both to the mobile and non-mobile students. The former approach has been considered to be more often in higher education institutions in English speaking regions, as an essential factor of an important element of transnational education. In previous years, Chinese universities have also increasingly been taking up this methods and approach in collaboration with their international partners (Welch, 2007)
According to the recent reform and changes of the educational ordinances, educational institutions are being allowed to establish offshore e degree programme outside China under the Chinese educational system. Some countries have their approach to be more widely been highlighted by education institutions as seen in the recent policies of the countries in Europe and others parts.
Internalization and exportation of knowledge are said to have obvious benefits. Aside from its overt objective of carrying important skills and knowledge across international boundaries, it can also be noted to promote international understanding, development of like-minded individuals who are known as the citizens of the world and shared values (Kagia & Ischinger, 2007). In a negative perspective, it can be said that ways should be sought to avoid foreign and international educational effects from having crushing effect or homogenizing on local cultures. Teaching and learning process in transnational institutions required to develop difficult and complex skills of giving emphasis on truly universal concerns, while preventing the imposition of their own insular assumptions and respecting cultural differences of the students.
In a paradoxical manner, both the tensions as well as the synergies between the aspects of globalization and internationalization of higher education development are growing. In different nations, access to higher education has been widened significantly beyond the old social class. Universities and colleges are now expected to serve the demands and needs of both the local and regional communities and national need. Furthermore, the old academic and scientific culture, which came from universal values, has been highlighted by democratization of higher education.
. The erosion of conventional cultures as well as the advances towards a world-culture becomes more insistent annually (Peter, 1996). Nonetheless, it would be untrue to characterize internationalization approach as solely driven by financial issues. Such force has also enabled the growth of the educational internationalist, with a genuine mission to establish educational institutions which provide a truly internationalized teaching and learning environment. These demands for universally applicable educational curriculum and syllabus, which consists of country specific units of study, like what has been done in some European countries because of the OECD policies and also in other nations of the world. Furthermore, educational system in various countries should prepare their students to be adapted in the globalized and internationalized world and internationally focused institutional ethos and culture. This is an environment in which national students are being benefited as much and often more, then culturally diverse students. It is in fact part of the conventional role of the educational system that it be internationalized and international resources of scholarship and teaching.
Internationalization of education can be viewed as a journey for different students in terms of national and cultural aspects in four different ways. First, it is an academic journey in which student is exposed and must adjust to intercultural setting, with their own teaching style, distinctive culture, social norms, and others. By being on foreign countries the student must be able to adapt the culture of their universities. Furthermore, internationalization of education also encompasses a cultural journey in which students are confronted with an innovative, perhaps, unknown national culture including their distinctive features, language, norms and society. Such process brings about cross-cultural comparison; in which national culture’s unique features are given emphasis, but also clarify the home culture’s eccentricities.
Clearly, sharing the same linguistic and cultural backgrounds can contribute to a greater closeness in terms of scholarly communications. In the study of Welch (2007), there was an essential two-way dimension to the relationship of international students and the students from local regions. The commitment of the university is said to be evident on these groups to use the resources of the knowledge centers, which include new communication technologies, like what is used in China.
It is also an intellectual journey in which students hopefully become interested of their frame of references and crucially reflect over their stereotypes, prejudices, attitudes and ethnocentrism. The students should be implored to challenge their conceptions and be assisted, not merely in distinguishing cultural differences and similarities but in comprehending and respecting them. Furthermore, internationalization of education should stimulate the students to move beyond teaching and learning process. Instead they should be given the chance to reflect the process of learning.
Accordingly, being a stranger in a specific culture, or newcomers, students are finding themselves an unfamiliar or international setting may trigger their feelings of uncertainty, anxiety and frustration. Internationalization of education can make them aware of cross-cultural processes and in turn. Enable them to develop strategies (Urquidi, 2000). For different individuals, internationalization education may contribute to personal growth and sense of identity. A report by Throsby (1996), a study indicates which studies abroad provide students a sense of self-esteem, greater independence and a growing interest in other national cultures.
In terms of national context, internationalization is considered as an outcome of various forces. From the discussion above, government see the recruitment of international or foreign students as the way of funding their universities. National government also sees internationalization of education as a manner of modernizing the university systems, which have for sometime enjoyed the level of insularity or isolation from the latest trends in higher education. In this regard, governments accept the requirement if the educational system of higher system to give teaching, learning as well as research which is not-only world-class but also internationalized in the sense that their students are equipped to take their position in the globalized market.
It is said that the great university of the past was not only a national centre of knowledge and learning but also in significance of international resources which facilitated the dissemination and promotion of knowledge through internationalized shared scholarship. It is obvious that there are still some aspects to be considered and national priorities should be effectively included and recognised.
It can be considered that the truly internationalized university, specifically in a developed economy accepting the obligation to provide all its students with a relevant education would have association, cooperative partnerships and or physical presence in any number of other nations. It is said that the doors would be open for every students all over the world. Part of the national movement is the commitment of the government to select its staff by international competitive as well as their curriculum to reflect both internationalized studies and nationalized studies at the frontiers of knowledge and can be useful globally. Both local and international students, include educational system staff should interact well in the teaching-learning process and research. Perspective from which these educational activities would ensue would importantly and significantly reflect the backgrounds and cultures of both the teachers and the students who would need to be inter-culturally sensitive and have a level of international awareness and knowledge. Hence, there would be various strategies and understanding. Herein, the higher education system and universities should fulfill effectively their role as a place of scholarly Diaspora and debate, respecting student differences in terms of backgrounds and perspectives but subjecting reasoning and interpretation to crucial objective analysis. In this regard, institutional culture as well as ethos is also considered as international. If this aspects was given emphasis by major educational provides, threats to diversity in terms of national and cultural would not be abolished but might be of a lesser level.
Conclusion
Internationalization and globalization aspects in education are now considered to be central issued for higher education in the global region. The resources discussed to give us important details to navigate the trends in the international higher education as well as the relation with the contexts of national and cultural aspects in internationalization. The discussion has dealt with the key areas such as the connection of internationalization wit the national and cultural patterns in higher education and how internationalization affects national government to do their obligations in providing education for all. In addition, it also discusses the influence of internationalization of education among students and their coping mechanisms during their stay in a foreign nation. Internationalization of higher education is said to have a long way for developed and developing nations to go to come to hold with the internationalization imperatives of this generation.
These resources will also help educational system to think about the challenges offered by internationalization in both the national and cultural challenges. This paper have discussed the context of current higher education and give emphasis that internationalization and quality assurance of providing internationalized educational system should be considered
In the internationalization of education, there has been a heightened awareness and consciousness on the expansion of higher education in different national borders and the context of transferability, quality assurance and transparency which include adequate information provisions. Furthermore, it provides awareness on the relevant national institutions as well as their networks such as at UNESCO, EU and OECD. Furthermore, it also provides discussion of the internationalization at the level of educational system and their major components providing some examples. In the cultural development and diversification of communities, the aspect of internationalization of higher education has been a constant change and its elements and factors, including both the process of internationalization and globalization at the national and cultural context. In different countries, both developing and developed countries, a greater emphasis should be laid on the international competitiveness and validity in education and the establishment of educational system strategies for internationalization. In this context, it is noted extremely essential for each educational system to reconsider the examination of the objectives and methods for internationalization, review the current state and explore what are considered as important criteria of its own which are expected to ultimately direct to the improvement of academic quality. By and large, the analysis has shown how internationalization of higher education can be related with the national and cultural contexts and how this affects students who are studying in foreign educational system.
Reference
Farquhar, RH (1999). Integration or isolation: Internationalism and the internet in Canadian higher education. Journal of Higher education policy an management, 21(1).
Hayhoe, R and Lin, J (2008). China’s Private Universities: A successful case study. Private Developments, 51.
Kagia, R, and Ischinger, B (2007). Cross border Tertiary Education: A way towards capacity development., OECD, and IBRD/World Bank.
Peter, S (1996). Massification and globalization: two principles in conflict? International strategies for internationalization of higher education. Conference proceedings Hong Kong Baptist Univesity.
Throsby, D. (1996). Progress report on financing and effects of internationalized teaching and learning, Internationalization of higher education. Paris: OECD.
Urquidi, V. (2000), International Understanding. Abiding issues, changing perspectives: visions of the university across a half-century. Paris, France. International Univesrit Bureau of the International Association of Universities.
Wachter, B (2008). Teaching in English on the rise in European higher education. Online available at http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/soe/cihe/newsletter/Number52p3_Wachter.htm retrieve October 10, 2008.
Welch, AR (2007). The Chinese knowledge diaspora: communication networks among overseas Chinese intellectuals. In Geographies of knowledge, geometries of power: framing the future of higher education by Debbie Epsteing et al. London, Routledge.
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