Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Internationalisation of Higher Education: Multicultural, Transnational and Cosmopolitan Perspectives Approached

  • Chapter
Dislocations of Civic Cultural Borderlines

Abstract

This chapter reviews concepts of multiculturalism, transnationalism and cosmopolitanism and their application to the development of modern higher education. Such focus provides a theoretical framework for discussing the internationalisation of universities. The current debate concerning the various rationales for internationalisation reveals competing visions of higher education. While there is a humanistic ideal of higher education, internationalisation strategies prioritize economic and competitive approaches guided by national interests.

The internationalisation processes are determined by geographical situation and the status of the university. International university collaboration between neighbouring countries relies on spatial and cultural proximity. Collaboration between developed and developing countries is often structured within the context of international aid. International ties emerge from initial personal contacts among the scholars; this might be called opportunity-driven internationalisation. Strategic frames are emphasised here in the analysis of the current development and the globalising future of higher education.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Appiah, K. A. (1994). Identity against culture: Understandings of multiculturalism. Occasional papers, Townsend Center for the Humanities, UC Berkeley. http://escholarship.org/uc/item/20x1c7s2. Accessed 20 Sept 2013.

  • Beck, U. (2006). The cosmopolitan vision. Cambridge/Malden: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, U., & Grande, E. (2007). Cosmopolitan Europe. Cambridge: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, U., & Sznaider, N. (2006). Unpacking cosmopolitanism for the social sciences: A research agenda. British Journal of Sociology, 57(1), 1–23. doi:10.1111/j.1468-4446.2006.00091.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bergan, S., Divis, J., & Rauhvargers, A. (2000). Bridges over troubled waters. Bologna and the recognition of qualifications. Journal of Studies in International Education, 4(2), 11–20. doi:10.1177/102831530000400203.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bologna Declaration. (1999). Towards the European higher education area. Conference of Ministers responsible for Higher education in 29 European countries (June), Bologna, Italy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang, S. (1992). Causes of brain drain and solutions: The Taiwan experience. Studies in Comparative International Development, 27(1), 27–43. doi:10.1007/BF02687103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chellaraj, G., Maskus, K., & Mattoo, A. (2005). The contribution of skilled immigration and international graduate students to US innovation. World Bank policy research working paper no. 3588.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clifford, V. (2011). Internationalising the home student. Higher Education Research & Development, 30(5), 555–557. doi:10.1080/07294360.2011.598446.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Day, M. (2012). Italian university switches to English. The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italian-university-switches-to-english-7643884.html. Accessed 20 Sept 2013.

  • Deardorff, D. (2006). Identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of internationalization. Journal of Studies in International Education, 10(3), 241–266. doi:10.1177/1028315306287002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dreher, A., & Poutvaara, P. (2005). Student flows and migration: An empirical analysis. IZA discussion paper no. 1612. http://ftp.iza.org/dp1612.pdf. Accessed 20 Sept 2013.

  • Egron-Polak, E., Sutton, S., Deardorff, D., Brandenburg, U., de Wit, H., Bhandari, R., Mohamedbhai, G., Murray, D., Hudson, R., McBride, K., Nahas, G., Paulsdottir, G., van Liempd, G., Ota, H., Green, M., Jowi, J., Pol, P., Freire Junior, J., & Yelland, R. (2012). Re-thinking internationalization. IAU Horizons, 17(3), 18(1). http://www.iau-aiu.net/sites/all/files/IAU_Horizons_Vol17_3_18_1_EN.pdf. Accessed 20 Sept 2013.

  • Eimers, M., & Pike, G. (1997). Minority and nonminority adjustment to college: Differences or similarities? Research in Higher Education, 38(1), 77–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • European Association for International Education. (2012). International student mobility charter. http://www.eaie.org/blog/eaie-pioneers-a-global-charter-for-students-rights/. Accessed 20 Sept 2013.

  • Faist, T. (2000). The volume and dynamics of international migration and transnational social spaces. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Glick Schiller, N. (1997). The situation of transnational studies. Identities, 4(2), 155–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gurin, P., Nagda, B., & Lopez, G. (2004). The benefits of diversity in education for democratic citizenship. Journal of Social Issues, 60(1), 17–34. doi:10.1111/j.0022-4537.2004.00097.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hansen, D. (2010). Cosmopolitanism and education: A view from the ground. Teachers College Record, 112(1), 1–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman, D. (1996). Culture and self in multicultural education: Reflections on discourse, text, and practice. American Educational Research Journal, 33(3), 545–569. doi:10.3102/00028312033003545.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jensen, K., & Walker, S. (2008). Education, democracy and discourse. London/New York: Continuum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kivisto, P. (2001). Theorizing transnational immigration: A critical review of current efforts. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 24(4), 549–577. doi:10.1080/01419870120049789.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knight, J. (1997). Internationalization of higher education: A conceptual framework. In J. Knight & H. de Wit (Eds.), Internationalization of higher education in Asia pacific countries (pp. 5–19). Amsterdam: European Association for International Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knight, J. (2006). Internationalization: Concepts, complexities and challenges. International Handbook of Higher Education Springer International Handbooks of Education, 18, 207–227.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knight, J. (2011). Five myths about internationalization. International Higher Education, 62, 14–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koch Christensen, K. (2002). Language policies in higher education—The example of Norway. In S. Bergan (Ed.), Language policies in higher education: Invitation to a debate (pp. 31–34). Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kymlicka, W. (1995). Multicultural citizenship: A liberal theory of minority rights. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J., & Kim, D. (2010). Brain gain or brain circulation? US doctoral recipients returning to South Korea. Higher Education, 59(5), 627–643.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malamud, D. (1997). Values, symbols, and facts in the affirmative action debate. Michigan Law Review, 95(6), 1668–1714.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marginson, S., & van der Wende, M. (2007). Globalisation and higher education. OECD education working papers no. 8. doi:10.1787/173831738240.

  • McBurnie, G., & Pollock, A. (2000). Opportunity and risk in transnational education—Issues in planning for international campus development: An Australian perspective. Higher Education in Europe, 25(3), 333–343. doi:10.1080/713669272.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McLachlan, D., & Justice, J. (2009). A grounded theory of international student well-being. Journal of Theory Construction & Testing, 13(1), 27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Modood, T. (2007). Multiculturalism. A civic idea. Cambridge/Malden: Polity Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Myerscough, J. (1988). The economic importance of arts in Britain. London: Policy Studies Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Naidoo, V. (2009). Transnational higher education. A stock take of current activity. Journal of Studies in International Education, 13(3), 310–330. doi:10.1177/1028315308317938.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nieto, C., & Booth, M. (2010). Cultural competence and its influence on the teaching and learning of international students. Journal of Studies in International Education, 14(4), 406–425. doi:10.1177/1028315309337929.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Otten, M. (2003). Intercultural learning and diversity in higher education. Journal of Studies in International Education, 7(1), 12–26. doi:10.1177/1028315302250177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker, W. (2011). ‘International education’ in US public schools. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 9(3–4), 487–501. doi:10.1080/14767724.2011.605330.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phillipson, R. (2003). English-only Europe? Challenging language policy. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Portes, A., Guarnizo, L. E., & Landolt, P. (1999). The study of transnationalism: Pitfalls and promise of an emergent research field. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 22(2), 217–237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salmi, J. (2009). The challenge of establishing world-class universities. Washington, DC: The World Bank.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Scott, J. (2006). The mission of the university: Medieval to postmodern transformations. The Journal of Higher Education, 77(1), 1–39. doi:10.1353/jhe.2006.0007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Selwood, S. (2010). John Myerscough, the economic importance of the arts in Britain. International Journal of Cultural Policy, 16(1), 74–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shimmi, Y. (2013). Should Japanese universities shift the academic calendar? International Higher Education. http://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/research_sites/cihe/pdf/IHEpdfs/ihe70.pdf. Accessed 20 Sept 2013.

  • Stier, J. (2003). Internationalisation, ethnic diversity and the acquisition of intercultural competencies. Intercultural Education, 14(1), 77–91. doi:10.1080/1467598032000044674.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stromquist, N. (2007). Internationalization as a response to globalization: Radical shifts in university environments. Higher Education, 53(1), 81–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thune, T., & Welle-Strand, A. (2005). ICT for and in internationalization processes: A business school case study. Higher Education, 50(4), 593–611.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tollefson, J., & Tsui, A. (2004). Medium of instruction policies: Which agenda? Whose agenda? New York/London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vertovec, S. (2009). Transnationalism. London/New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, Y., Jindal-Snape, D., Topping, K., & Todman, J. (2008). Theoretical models of culture shock and adaptation in international students in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 33(1), 63–75. doi:10.1080/03075070701794833.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Anna Medvedeva

  2. Department of Social Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland

    Pirkkoliisa Ahponen

Authors
  1. Anna Medvedeva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Pirkkoliisa Ahponen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anna Medvedeva .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland

    Pirkkoliisa Ahponen

  2. Department of Social Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland

    Päivi Harinen

  3. Department of Social Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland

    Ville-Samuli Haverinen

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Medvedeva, A., Ahponen, P. (2016). The Internationalisation of Higher Education: Multicultural, Transnational and Cosmopolitan Perspectives Approached. In: Ahponen, P., Harinen, P., Haverinen, VS. (eds) Dislocations of Civic Cultural Borderlines. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21804-5_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21804-5_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-21803-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-21804-5

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation