Page 1 - The shifting mind set of the higher education internationalization landscape

Notas Comité Editorial

The shifting mind set of the higher education
internationalization landscape

El cambio de mentalidad en el panorama de la internacionalización de la educación superior

To say that 2020 kicked higher education (HE) a stark realisation that national boundaries are
internationalisation into grappling with a rapidly more solid than ever, as a sense of self-preserva-
changing paradigm would be an understatement. tion gripped many nation states.
Not only were university structures, process What have current events highlighted and tau-
and policies caught in the global crossfire of the ght those involved in the internationalisation of hi-
SARS-Covid-19 pandemic but students emerged gher education? Although not an exhaustive list,
as the primary victims because of their global the following are evident:
mobility. That despite institutional autonomy, educa-
Nevertheless, as with any crisis the post-Co- tional institutions are inextricably linked to state
vid-19 pandemic will offer a unique opportunity structures and policy, and foreign consulates. Al-
namely to reflect of the nature, future function and though for many there has always been a tenuous
direction of HE and its internationalisation. Becau- link between the state and higher education ins-
se of a common experience throughout the world’s titutions the virus has deepened that relationship.
education sector all those involved in HE now have Going forward institutions of higher learning will
a stake in chartering the way forward for education have to be more prepared as to how to mana-
and concommetently internationalisation of higher ge that relationship, while still ensuring their in-
education. Not only does it open the debate about dependence. However, in the short and medium
the nature of research namely who should be in- term the stronger collaborative relationship that
volved and what should be researched, but it also has emerged between educational institutions, the
draws into focus the public’s perception of aca- state and the private sector needs to be nurtured if
demics and scientists in general. When Covid-19 countries want to advance their educational agen-
emerged in China, the way scientists often contra- da. An unintended consequence of this is likely to
dicted each in dealing with the pandemic, as por- be the conducting of research that is more driven
trayed in both national and international media, by social development needs, and a curriculum
opened a Pandora’s Box about who should receive that speaks more to the economic landscape of a
research grants and for what purpose, specifically country.
where public moneys are utilised. Events of the past few months have shown that
The global health crisis has also shown how such a tripartite collaboration between the state,
vulnerable an academic institution is to global educational institution and the private sector is
events, specifically those who based their solven- underpinned by a strengthening of the nation-sta-
cy on recruiting international students and acces- te. This is likely to lead to greater competition in
sing foreign funding; a strategy that is underscored the framing of a national educational space. Mea-
by seeing international students as a cash-cow has ning that the value of a country’s intellectual pro-
shown itself to be built on quicksand. perty is likely to be more guarded specifically as
Internationalisation of higher education (in the intellectual battle lines deepen between the
conjunction with other global organisations) ra- United States of America and the People’s Repu-
ther than paving the way for a blurring of national blic of China. A possible consequence of this for
boundaries during the past few decades witnessed internationalisation will be more questions being

Revista Obies • Bogotá-Colombia • Vol. 3 de 2019
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