Critical perspectives on internationalization in higher education: commercialization, global citizenship, or postcolonial imperialism?

ABSTRACT

We explore the literature on internationalization in higher education and distinguish between the mainstream and radical approaches to critical scholarship. We argue that the mainstream approach continues to steer internationalization towards socially progressive and equitable aims, while growing concerns have surfaced especially with regard to its commercialization. We focus on the postcolonial approach and suggest that it has inherent limitations stemming from its roots in a ‘modern global/colonial imaginary’ based on an outdated bipolar or unipolar, rather than multipolar, view of geopolitics. In the analysis of higher education, this perspective fails to recognize contemporary forms of colonialism and, in contrast to other strands of critical scholarship, neglects the shifting nature of geopolitics and the various forms and locations of colonialism. Consequently, we argue that the postcolonial approach becomes myopic, as it tends to be West-centric, selectively critical and denies local agency. Moreover, it falls short in explaining the motives behind internationalization in diverse contexts. Therefore, we argue for a plurality of critical approaches, widely applied, to gain a comprehensive understanding of internationalization on a global scale.

KEYWORDS:

• internationalization
• higher education
• globalization
• criticality
• postcolonial critique
• Occidentalism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. The prominence of Tianxia in mainstream discourse can be attributed to Zhao Tingyang, a distinguished philosopher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, who, in 2005, authored the bestselling book The Tianxia System: A Philosophy for the World Institution.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Annette Bamberger

Annette Bamberger is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at Bar Ilan University and an Honorary Research Fellow at the UCL Institute of Education.

Paul Morris

Paul Morris is Professor of Comparative Education at the UCL Institute of Education. From 1976 to 2000 he worked at Hong Kong University (HKU) and from 2000 to 2007 at The Education University of Hong Kong (EDUHK).