The internationalisation of higher education

This chapter explores and teases open several complexities that surround and permeate the internationalisation of higher education. The higher education sector is being transformed by a widening, deepening and speeding up of worldwide interconnectedness in all aspects of contemporary life. The chapter focuses on globalisation and internationalisation and how these concepts are being reconceptualised and enacted in different higher education contexts. According to Jane Knight, internationalisation can be perceived as having two components: internationalisation abroad and internationalisation at home. In the current global knowledge society the concept of internationalisation of higher education has become globalised, demanding further consideration of its impact on policy and practice as more countries and types of institution around the world engage in the process. The internationalisation research across the globe continues to be characterised by a lack of attention on the experiences of students and academics, the core players in the process except in a rather remedial sense.