Page 37 - AEI Insights 2020 - Vol. 6, Issue 1

Munusamy and Hashim, 2020

will be discussed. The proposed conceptual model has prospects for synergising approaches,
strategies and rationales for the internationalisation of higher education.
The article begins with an overview of internationalisation of higher education in terms of
definition, approaches, strategies and rationales for internationalisation. This is followed by a
review of internationalisation theories. Specifically, the Uppsala or process theory and network
theory of internationalisation are described in detail. Next, the networking perspective in
internationalisation and its connection to higher education internationalisation is discussed.
Finally, a conceptual framework connecting the network theory of internationalisation and
features of internationalisation of higher education is proposed.

Internationalisation of higher education

In the 1990s, internationalisation of higher education became a key topic worldwide (Teichler,
2004a; Yat & Lo, 2009). In the globalised world, internationalisation of higher education is
identified as a reaction to globalisation (Henard, Diamond, & Roseveare, 2012; Altbach 2015).
The responses constitute shifting interest from the social to more political and economic
rationale, from collaboration to competition and the emergence of new dimensions such as
virtual learning and transnational education (de Wit, 2013). The international dimension for
higher education began to be nurtured as a principal agenda of higher education providers (de
Wit, 2008). The definition and debate on internationalisation of higher education has been of
much interest to many scholars in the past few decades (de Wit, 2013; Knight, 1994, 2008b).
As a result, in accordance to internationalisation theory, James (2009) connected
internationalisation of higher education to “organisational theory, marketing, strategic
management, international management and education” (p. 28). Although the description is
combined with internationalisation, a specific definition of the term has been identified. In the
perspective of higher education, the term “internationalisation” covers a wide range of actions
such as international relationships, multilevel partnerships, cooperative courses and projects,
cross border education and international branch campuses (de Wit 2013; Knight, 2008; Pinna,
2009).

Definition
Arum & Van de Water (1992) define internationalisation of higher education as various
activities, projects and programmes that happen at higher education institutions (Knight
2004a). Knight (1994) introduced a broadly accepted definition of internationalisation of
higher education as “the process of integrating an international and intercultural dimension into
the teaching, research and service functions of the institution” (Knight, 1994, p. 3). The
definition recognises internationalisation as a process and encompasses local and international
characteristics (de Wit, 1999). Van der Wende (1997) suggested that internationalisation is
“any systematic effort aimed at making higher education responsive to the requirements and
challenges related to the globalisation of societies, economy and labour markets” (p. 20). Paige
& Mestenhauser (1999) argued that this definition only stresses the influence of global forces
and proposed internationalisation of higher education as “a complex, multidimensional
learning process that includes the integrative, intercultural, interdisciplinary, comparative,
transfer of knowledge-technology, contextual and global dimensions of knowledge
construction” (p. 504). In the same year, an educationist, Wächter (1999), mentioned the
importance of teaching and research and included functions of public service in the updated
definition of higher education internationalisation.

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