Internationalisation at Home
John-Andrew Skillen
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am
Main
Ablauf und Inhalte:
• Begrüßung • Auswirkungen von IaH
• Vorstellungsrunde (Rolle der
• Ablauf/Inhalte Auslandsämter,
Curriculare Reformen,
• Einführung in das neue Strukturen)
Thema
• Beispiele von IaH
• Ausblick
• Auswertung/Ergebnis-
sicherung
Internationalisation at Home
(Beyond Mobility)
• What internationalisation meant
• What it means now
• What it might mean in the future
Internationalisation
(Historical Definitions)
• Co-operation between national institutions.
• Mobility-based (study abroad).
• Happens somewhere else.
• Concerns a minority of students.
• Good for improving language skills.
• Run by a dedicated office or department.
• Not relevant to mainstream activities.
Internationalisation
(Current Issues)
• What about international competition?
• What about the non-mobile 90%?
• What about faculty and admin. staff?
• What about intercultural awareness?
• What about international content?
• How does internationalisation fit into
institutional development strategies?
Internationalisation
(Changing Conditions)
• Need for internationally relevant content and
qualifications for all students.
• Increasingly multicultural societies require a
different approach to higher education.
• Emergence of international competition for
students, faculty, financial resources.
• Political pressure at the EU, national and
regional levels to “Europeanise”.
Internationalisation
(Current Definitions)
• Outbound and inbound mobility of both
students and staff (academic and admin.).
• Multilateral, networked rather than bilateral
co-operation, not just for exchanges.
• Development of a curriculum with both
international and intercultural content.
• International quality assurance.
• Trans-national education (ICT, ODL, etc.).
Internationalisation
(Future Prospects)
• “Internationalisation for all” means:
• - International course content;
• - International students and faculty;
• - Intercultural awareness & language skills;
• - International recognition;
• - International policies;
• - International governance.
Internationalisation and
Globalisation Paradigms
• Can internationalisation be only “at home”?
• If it involves interaction between nations, is
this to be co-operation or competition?
• Is “Europeanisation” internationalisation?
• Is there not a “global education market”?
• Do we promote diversity or uniformity?
• Is the international paradigm still relevant?
Internationalisation at Home
Links with IRM
• Internationalisation is a process.
• It is central to institutional strategy.
• It needs to be driven (by policy-makers).
• It is essentially a change process.
• Change processes need to be managed.
• IR Managers are potential change agents.
Internationalising the
Institution
• Responding to external pressures (regulatory,
social, economic, technological, competitive).
• Analysing the environment.
• Assessing your strengths and weaknesses.
• Getting started: chickens and eggs.
• Key actors in the process.
• The importance of structural reforms.
• Advocacy, allies and support.
• Overcoming resistance.
Roles for IR Managers
• Monitoring the environment.
• Relaying information internally.
• Advocating response and change.
• Proposing concrete measures to “the top”.
• Gaining top management support.
• Planning and implementing.
• Explaining to colleagues.
• Benchmarking and evaluation.
“How to Tickle the Dragon‟s Tail?”
Structural Innovation and
Internationalisation at a
Major German University
John-Andrew Skillen
J.W. Goethe Universität
Frankfurt am Main
Setting
• The reform factors:
Necessity to implement reforms
Market factors: students„ and employers„
demands
National competition, e. g. with
Fachhochschulen
International competition: necessity to
facilitate international mobility,
curriculum development, international
degrees, credit point systems
Effects of the Bologna process since 1999
Actors in the game:
Federal Ministry for Science and
Education
DAAD as a “national change agent” in
concert with other institutions like
Rectors„ Conference, AvH, German
Research Foundation etc.)
Ministries for Higher Education of the
Länder
Internationally operating enterprises
Newly recruited and internationally active
teaching staff
International Relations Managers
Incentives :
Basic decisions to implement the Bologna
process
Open discussion and competition
between institutions
Funding for model projects from the
Federal Ministry for Science and
Education via DAAD
Funding for curricular reforms from the
Federal Ministry for Science and
Education in joint venture with the
Länder-Ministries
Projects funded by the EU through
SOCRATES, ECTS etc.
The Reform-Process at Goethe-
University
The new vice president takes an
intensive interest in the implementation
of modularisation and credit point
systems
A working committee for curricular
reform and internationalisation is formed
A basic decision on curricular reform is
made by the Senate
The Reform-Process 2
The basic features of the reform project at
Goethe-University are defined to be:
transparency and documentation of
curricula through modularisation
documentation and validation: credit
point systems
degree documentation: diploma
supplement
new degrees (B. A., M. A.) where
necessary and feasible
The Reform-Process 3
Development of models for
modularisatrion and credit point systems
in various disciplines
Presentation of models of reform at the
“Day of University Teaching”
Securing funds in the new joint program
“Hochschule-Wissenschaft”
Internationalisation and structural
reforms become an integrated part of the
strategic planning of the University
Results:
• First steps:
• ECTS and curricular reforms have been
realised in two departments
• Modules in the basic curriculum are being
tested in the Department of Social Science
• Preparation for the implementation of modules
and credit point systems are going on in
Teacher Training and Cultural Anthropology
But other important objectives
have been met:
• A broad discussion of internationalisation and
curricular reform has started
• A deeper awareness of the necessity to meet
international standards has been formed with
the faculty, leaders and administration of the
university
• Basic decisions have been made by the senate
and by departmental councils
• Internationalisation is an integrated part of the
strategic planning of the University
Checklist 1
The “political climate” has to be tuned
towards reform and internationalisation,
at the institution as well as in the
surrounding society
Make a clear definiton of the range of
changes to be implemented (only courses
in English or full curricular reform?) and
the role you can play in the procedure
(counsellor or “the guy who has to do all
the work”?)
Look at your existing workload and think
it over again!
Checklist 2
Secure support and active involvement
of the President, Vice-Chancellor etc.
Look for partners inside and outside of
your institution
Look for important opinion-makers to
support the change procedure
Checklist 3
Form a task force of “change agents”
from administration, departments and
other institutions to discuss, plan and
execute models of reform
Don„t forget that important decisions
have to be covered by the consent of
governing bodies of the institution
Always bear in mind that your institution
is reluctant to change and that it is not
your fault if it seems an impossible task!