INTERNATIONALIZATION AS A COMPONENT OF THE UNIVERSITY ACTIVITY AND ITS ROLE IN THE CURRENT HIGHER EDUCATION DYNAMICS

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of internationalization in higher education in terms of the policies, programs, and strategies that are used at the supranational, continental, national, institutional, and individual levels.
The paper shows that the issue of internationalization in higher education is defined differently by different researchers. It emphasizes that a discussion in defining the internationalization in higher education was initiated by the influential research of M. Harari in 1972, and this definition included three elements – international content of the curricula, international mobility of students and researchers, arrangements that engage a system of education cooperation programs beyond its national boundaries. The paper discusses that nowadays internationalization means a series of international activities such as academic mobility, international linkages, partnerships, projects, international academic programs, and research initiatives. The paper also shows that analysis of internationalization recently gained more visibility among general publications on higher education.
It emphasizes that, while internationalization is a historical phenomenon, nowadays international dimension of higher education is becoming increasingly important and complex, and internationalization will remain a central force in higher education.
The paper also considers three top-ranked benefits of internationalization at the global level, though the level of its importance differs between world regions. Globally top-ranked benefits of internationalization in higher education are deeper engagement with global issues by students, improved quality of teaching and learning, and enhanced international cooperation. At the same time, top-ranked potential risks to institutions associated with internationalization at the global level are considered, including accessibility of international opportunities mainly to students with financial resources, difficulty regulating locally the quality of foreign programs, and excessive competition among higher education institutions.
This paper also considers the emergence of new providers of higher education in the global market of higher education services – corporate universities, virtual universities and on-line courses, and a certification system of competence in computer technology. The article notes that providers use face-to-face and virtual modes to deliver education to students in their home countries though franchising, articulation, validation, and joint or double degree arrangement.
The paper reveals that traditional internationalization is rarely a profit-making activity, but it enhances the competitiveness, prestige, and strategic alliances of the university. It highlights that today’s emerging programs and practices must assure that international higher education benefits the public, and not simply be a profit institution.