Internationalisation of higher education: where are we?

It is safe to say that no university can today be considered as a modern institution of higher learning unless it is fully engaged in international activities. If asked to explain what ‘internationalisation’ of higher education means, or how to go about the process, it is quite likely that a large variety of replies would be offered. Whether we ask government officials or senior university leaders, and whether we pose the question in Sri Lanka or in Canada, most would talk about mobility of students, learning about other cultures, engaging in international research projects. They may use the term interchangeably with globalisation, seeing it as the same phenomenon, or they may argue strongly that internationalisation is vastly different, more higher-education specific. The IAU has conducted regular surveys into international attitudes and activities; the author presents some of the broad findings and points out current trends.