How important is the local when thinking global?

Internationalisation at a research led university

Ian Willis Research Seminar 28 October 2009

Local - key emergent theme

Journey
Local was NOT starting place 2nd beginning was on rationales, drivers and restrainers for internationalisation

University is NW & research led!

Confidential Major changes underway

Internationalisation & globalisation: brief Theoretical focus Local considerations

emerged as a strong theme in analysis

Levels

Inter-connected Inter-acting Nested

Global International (Europe) National University (Departmental) Individual

Globalisation
what on earth is it?

Globalisation in terms of: Ethnicity Ideas Media Finance Technology Key notions: Flows Global events induce local responses
Appadurai 1996

Global
The existence of global economic, political, cultural and environmental interconnections and flows that make many of the existing borders and boundaries irrelevant
Steger 2003

Note: Complex Inter-relations, flows, dynamic Beyond states Economic dimension inescapable but much more going on BUT: states remain very powerful including in education

Globalisation and internationalisation

Related and interconnected but not the same

Internationalisation is one of the responses that HEIs are making through their strategies, policies and activities (UNESCO 2004, Altbach & Knight 2007)
Responses will be local, situated and prescribed by the realities of individual HEIs

Internationalisation
The process of integrating an international, intercultural and/or global dimension into the goals, functions (teaching/learning, research, services) and delivery of higher education
(Knight 2005)

This is very commonly cited

Note: integration

Rationales why bother?

Rationales
Social and cultural Economic Academic

Constituent elements or focus

Intercultural understanding, Citizenship, Social and community development Economic competitiveness, Labour market, Income generation International dimension to research and teaching, Institution-building, Profile and status, Enhancement of quality and curriculum, Collaborations
International branding and positioning, Strategic alliances, Knowledge production & exchange Student and staff development, Institutional learning and exchange, Capacity building

Competitive Developmental

Question: Is it a......
1. Theoretical framework
2. Conceptual framework 3. Organising framework

4. Plain old framework

Force field analysis Social Practice Theory

Transformative globalisation

Lewin Trowler
Held et al, Tikly, Appadurai Knight, Middlehurst & Woodfield Marginson & Rhoades Vaira Giddens, Archer, Bhaskar Barnett

Internationalisation rationales
Glonacal-agency heuristic

Organisational Isomorphism/Allomorphism Structure/Agency Philosophy of Higher Education

Organising the level & complexity

Lewins Force field analysis
Driving and restraining forces for change

Social Practice Theory: Trowler

Situates change

Transformative globalisation
Emphasises local responses to global flows/forces

Forces potentially acting to restrain internationalisation Global

Rejection of globalisation discourse, credit crunch

Institutional
Conflicting university agendas and priorities Existing positions and interests

Individual
Locally based research, commitment to local concerns Questioning of globalisation discourse & marketisation Views on purpose of university Existing positions and interests

Forces: potential to drive internationalisation

Global
Neo-liberal economics, trade agreements New markets, competition, demand Global research, Global challenges ICT, English worldwide, staff & student mobility

National policies
Economic view of internationalisation Relative reduction in funding

More Forces: potential to drive

Institutional
Economic pressure, competition Global University, Reputation (research led) International league tables Existing traditions & international collaborations Educational drive for international dimension

Individual
International research interests Acceptance of market discourse Existing positions and interests

Glonacal-agency heuristic
Global - National Local
All important

Agency: looking at how individuals act/influence at all levels Layers and conditions
Changes mediated by local histories and aims Marginson & Rhoades

Structure/Agency
Argued that each level creates a structure within which level below acts agentially Global forces create context that calls for a university response
Often meaning internationalisation

Universitys internationalisation creates context: individual response These responses can in turn influence up

Structure/Agency
Provides an explanation of how individual interests (projects) are the locus of concern/action Shows agential action can shape structures
Over time

Theoretical argument
Why to engage with individual interests Supported in the findings

University / Individual
University linking internationalisation aims to individual projects can be a key to successful development Doing it just for the money wont work Need for a nuanced message Monash require any internationalisation activity to explicitly serve an academic function

Back to the Framework

What is it.........?
Theoretical, Conceptual Organising or Plain old?

Ask the audience!

Does it work OK? Questions/comments Thank you

Bonus slides follow

How new is it ?
Debated heres one view Four major cycles:

1. 2. 3. 4.

1492 - Spain and Portugal colonise S America etc. World (oceanic) trade established Late 17th Cent 2nd European colonisation, slave trade, trade gives over to conquest Late 19th Cent huge increase in trade, mass migration to Americas. Last colonies fought for. Ends with 1930s depression Post WW2 trade liberalisation, intensifies 1967 1980s
Initial gains unequally distributed, but eventually trickle down (?) Greater gains overall to those that globalised. Often caused great suffering Elites have more in common with elites in other countries than with own people

National messages & pressures

HE as a business is very important to UK economy
Income: ~ 17bn, Economic impact: 42.5bn, 1.2% of workforce: 330,000 direct (600,000 total impact)

Most UK national messages are economic Knowledge economy is accepted Most governments want mass education and spending contained
These are real pressures for HEIs Leads to mix of public/private income 61% public, 27% private, 12% export
Figures from Universities UK for 2003-4

Globalisation: Contested Different views Different assumptions

Hyperglobalist: Triumph of global capitalism Demise of nation state Sceptical: Just regionalism Polarisation: developed and developing Nation state now more important in managing crisis in capitalism Education is national Transformational: Interconnectedness; both integration and fragmentation. Some enmeshed in global order others marginalised Relationships cross national boundaries Nations retain power but transformed by ideas of international governance and law

3 broad approaches each contains plurality of views

Globalisation summary notes

Flows, Intensity, Speed Homogenisation & localisation Economics (neo-liberal) as major driver
Knowledge Economy, Competition, GATs

Education: a product and part of globalising process

WW educational (credentialing) system, English, Staff & Student mobility

Global challenges Global research collaboration