Redefining Internationalization in Higher Education

Internationalization remains one of the most widely defined concepts in higher education. It has consisted as a measure of global engagement, institutional prestige, and national competitiveness. However, the overuse of the phrase has diluted its clarity and purpose. Historically defined by Knight (2004) as the process of integrating international, intercultural, and global dimensions into teaching, research, and service, internationalization has since evolved within complex political and economic landscapes. de Wit (1995, 2020) and others have argued that the field's initial humanistic aspirations have been overshadowed by market-driven imperatives such as recruitment, branding, and international rankings. Simultaneously, global crises and shifting student demographics challenge the moral assumptions underlying these approaches. Drawing upon historical and contemporary literature, this chapter offers a comprehensive redefinition of internationalization.