Economic globalisation: A catalyst for the internationalisation of Higher Education

By Debjani Banerjee

The entire higher education landscape has been inspired and influenced by the effect of globalisation. The phenomenon of internalisation over the years has become increasingly prominent. The impact of globalisation, characterised by the integration of economies, markets and societies has profound influence on academia. A new wave of reshaping the dynamics of learning, research, and collaborative activities has given way to the adoption and exploration of higher education leading to the internationalisation of higher education. Every year thousands of students are going abroad for higher education. Globalisation and internationalisation of higher education are intertwined, which has drawn the interest of scholars from higher education for several decades.

This article shall explore the intricate interplay between economic globalisation and internationalisation of higher education. Elucidate the multifaceted ways in which global economic forces have transformed today’s academic landscape worldwide and the mental change that the citizens have undergone with this global exposure. This article shall explore the potential future that economic openness can bring in the future.

Academic association

The impact of intensified globalisation has created its impact on many domains starting from university rankings to inclusion in the area of governance, marketisation and privatisation. This development has picked up in Asia-Pacific too. Internationalisation of higher education has moved from reactive to proactive mode, which was confined to the concept of value addition making way to the mainstream, with its focus, scope and content evolving substantially over time. The traditional values attached to cooperation are changing to competition, commercialisation and cross border delivery, increasing competition in higher education. In a knowledge driven economy, the reputation and prestige has become paramount for influencing student enrolment, faculty recruitment and collaborative research gain. Today every university intends to attract top talent, foster innovation and demonstrate excellence both in teaching as well as research to bolster international Institution ranking to create positive appeal for prospective learners. The economic imperative drives an institution to create association with global partners to position them as hub of intellectual inquiry and innovation, in an interconnected world through collaborative research agendas and input in curricula development.

The frontier of knowledge is getting more enriched with the increased mobility of capital and ideas across borders. The sphere of mobility observes students, scholars and academic professionals traversing beyond their geographical and cultural boundaries. Thus internationalisation creates scope for educational opportunities, professional development and cultural exchange. The students as they cross borders bring campus diversity, thus spreading wealth of perspectives, experiences and talents that enhances the learning environment fostering intercultural understanding. The horizon broadens making thought to be more liberal and accommodating. The exchange of ideas by scholars and researchers through collaborative work transcends towards addressing global challenges.

The initiative of internationalisation has been an impact of globalisation, it has facilitated the proliferation of transnational education initiatives which includes joint degree programs, branch campuses and various online learning platforms through MOOCS. All these are helping in catering to the growing need of specialised expertise and program credentials. Thus, knowledge dissemination using a digitised world, enabled universities to move beyond their geographic territory forming satellite campuses. All these facilities offer students greater flexibility and accessibility in pursuing higher education and providing the institute’s opportunity to enhance their brand visibility and generate revenue beyond their domestic market.

This economic globalisation has facilitated collaborative research and created an ecosystem of innovation that transcends national boundaries. This has made universities partner with industry partners, various researching bodies as well as government agencies to look for solutions of various complex societal challenges, come up with technological innovations and look for opportunities that would help in commercialising the research outcomes. The scope of addressing the pressing societal needs would help in creating awareness for issues like climate change, global warming, cyber security etc. This open atmosphere of knowledge sharing makes higher education play a pivotal role in advancing scientific frontiers which facilitates in enhancing global competitiveness and ensuring sustainable development. As all universities and institutes of higher education leverages on international student enrolment, research contracts, various philanthropic donations they obtain financial resilience which may help in mitigating financial risks and ensure long-term sustainability. All sorts of joint collaborative activities offer opportunities for cost sharing and capacity building. The universities promote entrepreneurial strategies by helping the innovative research work to be converted as a startup, shifting gears from job seeker to job creator. With this they adapt to the dynamic economic landscape as an engine of growth driver, innovator and looking towards social progress.

Myths of internationalisation

Economic globalisation has been key in changing the landscape of higher education which has manifested in various ways- the international competition has increased for both students and academics, there has been growth in cross-border delivery of programmes, which is being observed in several countries. Some of the myths that has been highlighted through researches are as follows-

Myth one- In terms of foreign students being on campus, can bring in more international influence in the institution towards curriculum and culture.

Myth two- International reputation is considered as a part of quality assurance.

Myth three- Higher the number of international agreements or network membership that an institute has, greater would be its prestige and attraction.

Myth four- The more the International Accreditation stars and ranks that an institute has, higher is its internationalised aspect.

Myth five was towards global branding. It was stated that this brand positioning was not an outcome of internationalisation but a marketing scheme.