Journal # 3 Internationalization of the Western Universities

Internationalization of the Western Universities

Objective:                       

Bowen (2012) defines “glocalization”  as adapting a global product to fit local customs and needs. “For example, McDonald’s is a global company known for the consistency of its products, but in India it offers mostly chicken, lamb, and vegetarian food.” He then suggests in education, there is a need to localize the material and internationalize the product (e.g., New York University in Abu Dhabi). The objective of this journal is to critically discuss why major universities have become internationalized and how they take advantage of new technology to integrate active learning among student and faculty remotely.

Reflective:

In my perspective, internationalization of higher education is a great service to humanity in the long run as long as it’s not profit motivated. I like Bowen’s argument on the significant role of universities “at integrating the human and personal significance of content, enhancing the human    intellectual curiosity, increasing personal investment in the material, negotiating difference, and connecting information across disciplines.” (p. 285) Unfortunately, the decreasing financial support from the federal and provincial governments has forced many universities to compete at the global level for private donors to cover costly expenses, including updating or expanding their facilities.  

Traditionally, many students from developing countries located themselves in Western countries to gain knowledge and skills, and the expectation was for them to return to their home countries and advance their societies. While Canadian universities still admit thousands of international students, technological tools have made it possible for many other students to stay in their home countries and graduate from the same universities. In this case, those graduating from the University of British Columbia remotely don’t incur the high cost of living in Vancouver and mainly pay tuition fees and course related expenses.  

Interpretive:

The concept of Internationalization is not a foreign concept to many of us, particularly since the increasing pace of globalization in the world market and trade economy. “Internationalization describes the voluntary and perhaps creative ways of coping (Altbach, 2004:3).”  The process of internationalization of higher education involves voluntary interaction between individuals (students, faculty and staff) and between nations across borders.  Internationalization of higher education creates opportunities for education partnerships with governments and nations, academic institutions at the global level, non-governmental organizations, businesses, faculty and students, and diverse Canadian and global communities.    

Although I agree with Bowen that universities need to change their approaches and strategies in this era of globalization to become global universities, in recent years, advancements in technology have made it much easier for educational institutions and universities to offer distance education and on-line education to students and scholars who may study, work and live anywhere in the world.  Currently, distance education and on-line education is more popular in the fields of business, management and technology to middle class international students whose parents have money and who study and work in their home countries and receive their degrees from foreign universities.  This has been reported in the Vancouver Sun article “The Chinese connection”:

The number of students in China packing their bags to study in Canada is dropping, but that isn’t stopping many of them from getting a Canadian education.  Faced with declining numbers of international students seeking admission to programs here, Canadian institutions have been putting more emphasis on creative partnerships that deliver Canadian curriculum-seen as an advantage in a globalized economy-to students in China. (2005, E1)

As argued by Bowen, the focus of universities that market their service at the global level should be on motivating students to learn and to “…find new ways to connect with students.” (p. 288)  

As discussed, the integration of national markets into a global market has pushed the administrations of many Canadian universities to internationalize their campuses and to maximize revenue from international students.  Faced with increased cuts to education budgets at both provincial and federal levels since the early 1990s, many university administrations have been forced to accept funding from multinational companies, particularly for their science and technology departments.  Whether this new direction for Western universities puts quality of education ahead of profits or whether it’s beneficial for the survival of the universities is beyond the scope of this journal, my concern is whether educators are using opportunities offered by  “glocalization”     to create quality, effective education that is very accessible, interactive, inclusive, supportive and promotes active learning.

Decisional

Educational institutions need to encourage interactive relationships between students, faculty and staff to motivate participation of all groups in the design and delivery of international programs.  If I have some kind of decision making power in higher education at the global level, I will not force my way of thinking on anyone, including nations considered ‘financially poor’, but instead create equal opportunities for collaborative sharing and exchange of knowledge/skills with the aim of improving the quality of life for people worldwide.

As our experience has shown, in recent years, many educational institutions are pushed into privatizing departments and programs. In my perspective, individual students, staff and faculty members can make a big difference in moving campuses toward being inclusive, supportive, caring and passionate in rising to the challenge of making the world more humane and livable for everyone by transforming our institutions into needed societal leaders and role models.

The opportunities provided by the new technology have allowed all students to share their knowledge, expertise and related experiences with a broader audience at the global level.  This course has encouraged me to think more about the concept and practices of higher education in this fast growing era of technological advances in every aspect of our lives.  In this era of a knowledge economy, educators need to create and implement curricula that are relevant locally and internationally.  In this context,  “glocalization”     of education motivates me to create a curriculum that will meet the demands of the international community and meet the needs of local and remote learners. Therefore, my aim will be to share my knowledge and skills to make the world better for all humanity. 

References

Altbach, Philip.  (2004).  ‘Globalization and the University:  Myths and Realities in an Unequal World’.  Tertiary Education and Management (No. 1, 2001).  Centre for International Higher Education, Campion Hall, Boston College, Chestnut.

Bowen, J. A. (2012). Teaching Naked: How Moving Technology Out of Your College Classroom Will Imp

Shaw, Gillian. (2005).  ‘International program widens horizons for students in B.C. and Asia: The Chinese connection’.  Monday, March 14, 2005. E1, Vancouver Sun.