Internationalisation of higher education - Necessity to adapt to new forms of engagement for ensuring sustainability?

Abstract

Institutes of higher education realised that one of the methods of exposing the stakeholders was to give them an international exposure by having international collaborations and encouraging students to go for short-term exchanges like semester abroad, summer schools or internships, attracting international students to the campus, faculty exchanges, branch campuses, franchisee arrangements. However due to factors like economic feasibility, imbalance in exchanges, security and safety concerns it is apparent that only 2% of total student ratio that benefits while remaining 98% may never get the chance to leave the shores of their borders. Developing strategic partnerships to impart international, intercultural, global perspectives into the teaching, learning, and research and contribute to the society are important aspects of internationalisation of higher education. In today’s uncertain times and current upswing of isolationist sentiments, the future of international higher education is difficult to predict This paper will display the important methods to adopt for sustainability in internationalization of higher education and longterm engagement of partnerships that can be to embrace the concept of Internationalisation at home. This involves creating campus diversity, using innovative pedagogies, co-teaching of courses using on line technology, involving students from partners to conduct research, develop and discuss case studies through webinars, video conferencing. These methods can be a sustainable one where students do not leave their own country but benefit by learning about the partner country.

Subject Classification:

• 68U99

Keywords:

• Internationalisation of higher education
• Sustainability
• Mobility