Globalisation and Internationalisation

Gavin Sanderson

Globalisation and internationalisation

It’s important to be able to distinguish between ‘globalisation’ and ‘internationalisation’:

“Internationalisation and globalisation are seen as different but dynamically linked concepts. Globalisation can be thought of as a catalyst while internationalisation is the response, albeit a response in a proactive way” (Knight 1999). “International education can best be viewed as both an expression and a response to the general processes of globalisation" (Rizvi n.d.).

 

Globalisation

Held et al talk about globalisation in terms of its extensity, intensity, velocity and impact.

They describe three interpretations of global activity:

• Hyperglobalists – ‘one world’

• Sceptics – ‘old wine in new bottles’

• Transformationalists – some things change, some stay the same

Internationalisation and higher education

Jane Knight’s organisational “process” approach

Working definition (mid-1990s to 2003/4):

“The process of integrating an international / intercultural dimension into the teaching, research and service functions of the institution” (organisation focus)

Updated working definition (2004)

“The process of integrating an international, intercultural, or global dimension into the purpose, functions or delivery of post-secondary education” (sector focus)

Internationalisation and higher education: Knight’s model expressed diagrammatically

Intercultural, international, and global flows of technology, economy, knowledge, people, values and ideas

National level

Sector level

Institution level

Breadth dimension of the reach of internationalisation

Depth dimensionof the reach of

internationalisation

Source: Sanderson (2006). p. 149

Intercultural, international, and global flows of technology, economy, knowledge, people, values and ideas

Individual level

National level

Sector level

Institution level

Regional level

Global level

Breadth dimension of the reach of internationalisation

Faculty/Department level

Depth dimension of the reach of

internationalisation

Supranational level

Within-institution level

Limits of Knight’s (2004) depth

dimension

Source: Sanderson (2006) p. 149The

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Weak & strong internationalisation

Appadurai (2001) makes a fleeting, yet powerful, contribution to understanding the internationalisation of higher education through distinguishing between ‘weak’ and ‘strong’ commitments to internationalisation processes. Although specifically directed at the activity of academic research, it can be used to describe the degree to which institutions, programs, courses, and individuals’ personal and professional outlooks are internationalised. Weak internationalisation is essentially a superficial engagement with the issues whilst strong internationalisation is a laborious, even contentious, deeper, more sophisticated and genuine desire to explore what it means to become internationalised.

Weak & strong internationalisation

Around 2001 British Airways undertook an initiative to paint the tails of some of their planes with cultural motifs as a statement that the airline ‘belonged to the world’. If this was the only thing they did to internationalise their operations, would it be an example of weak or strong internationalisation? What other sorts of things might BA do to demonstrate a commitment to internationalisation? (Coincidentally, the British people themselves strongly opposed the initiative to the point where it was scrapped! They wanted the Union Jack proudly flying on the tails of ‘their’ planes. This is an example of the contested nature of globalisation, internationalisation and cultural identity, and inherent tensions.)

Weak & strong internationalisation

“The world’s biggest gallery in the sky.”

“Through these world images, British Airways is turning its fleet into a flying gallery with its revolutionary new corporate identity one of the world's largest art commissions yet.”

Note: All BA-related quotations and images in this slideshow are sourced from a web page titled “A new British Airways takes off today” which is no longer available. The date the information was published was June 10, 1997 and the media release is designated as KPG/124/97.

Weak & strong internationalisation

Sixty per cent of BA travellers come from outside Britain

Weak & strong internationalisation

The initiative “will reflect the best of established British values, blended with the nation's more modern attributes - its friendly, youthful, diverse and cosmopolitan outlook, which is open to many cultures.”

“The new identity is aimed at presenting British Airways as an airline of the world, born and based in Britain with a community of people passionately committed to serving the communities of the world.”

“This is particularly reflected in the world images, which celebrate and unite the communities British Airways' serves. They reflect the company's awareness of the cultural differences of its customers - three in every five of whom originate from outside the UK - and reinforces British Airways as a global brand.”

Weak & strong internationalisation

Weak & strong internationalisation

Bob Ayling, British Airways' Chief Executive, says, “We have to reach out to people around the world and deliver service that meets their needs. They want to deal with people who speak their language. They want food that suits their palate. In short, they want to feel as if they are travelling 'home from home'.

"Our new corporate identity will send an important message to our existing and new customers all over the world - British Airways wants to be your favourite airline and is responsive to your needs.”

Weak & strong internationalisation

Weak & strong internationalisation

Bartell (2003, p. 56) listed Sporn’s (1996) four types of university culture

Cell 1: Weak and internally oriented cultures;

Cell 2: Weak and externally oriented cultures;

Cell 3: Strong and internally oriented cultures;

Cell 4: Strong and externally oriented cultures.

Weak & strong internationalisation

The cumulative effect of the strengths and work of individuals in this area is reflected in Webb’s (2005) view that an institution will become internationalised, ‘only through the creative utilisation of the imagination and agency of those who comprise the university’ (p. 117).

ReferencesReferences

Appadurai , A. (2001). Grassroots globalization and the research imagination. In Globalization. A. Appadurai. (Ed.). pp. 1-21. Durham, Duke University Press.

Bartell, M. (2003). "Internationalization of universities: a university culture-based framework." Higher Education 45(1), 43-70.

Held, D., McGrew, A., Goldblatt, D., & Perraton, J. (1999). Global transformations: Politics, economics, culture. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Knight, J. (1997). Internationalisation of higher education: a conceptual framework. In J. Knight & H. de Wit (Eds.), Internationalisation of higher education in Asia Pacific countries (pp. 5-19). Amsterdam: European Association for International Education (EAIE), in cooperation with IDP Education Australia and the Programme on Institutional Management in Higher Education (IMHE) of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Knight, J. (1999). Internationalization of higher education. In J. Knight (Ed.), Quality of internationalization in higher education. pp. 13–28. Paris: OECD.

Knight, J. (2003). Updating the definition of internationalization. Retrieved 28 November 2003, from http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/soe/cihe/newsletter/News33/text001.htm

Knight, J. (2004). Internationalization remodelled: definition, approaches, and rationales. Journal of Studies in International Education, 8(1), 5-31.

Rizvi, F. (n.d.). Internationalisation of curriculum. Retrieved 10 February, 2004, from http://www.teaching.rmit.edu.au/resources/icpfr.PDF

Sanderson, G. (2006). Examination of a profile of the ideal lecturer for teaching international students. Adelaide: Flinders University.

Webb, G. (2005). Internationalisation of the curriculum: An institutional approach. In J. Carroll & J. Ryan (Eds.), Teaching international students. Improving learning for all (pp. 109–118). London: Routledge.