Understanding internationalisation
The aim of this project is to develop a more comprehensive understanding of internationalisation in academic disciplines and professional fields and to examine the impact on interdisciplinary collaboration and flexible learning pathways. In the first phase, a conceptual model was developed and tested with data on internationalisation indicators from Utrecht University. During the second phase, data was collected from universities within the EWUU alliance. Within the EWUU alliance, Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Universiteit Utrecht (UU) and Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht (UMCU) connect their scientific knowledge related to research and education.
Background information
The debate about internationalisation is characterized by different ideologies and interests in favour or to its detriment. This project emphasizes a more comprehensive understanding of internationalisation, enabling higher education institutions to formulate its own arguments based on relevant parameters. This understanding concerns the academic disciplines and dimensions external to the university (e.g., professional field regulations).
Project description
To test the conceptual model data has been collected on ten indicators. Data for eight of these indicators were provided by the EWUU alliance universities. The indicators cover the internationalisation of education (e.g., percentage of international students), of research (e.g., internationally co-authored publications), and external dimensions.
Aims
This project has two aims
- Developing a more comprehensive understanding of internationalisation as manifested in academic disciplines and professional fields.
- Exploring the impact of internationalisation on interdisciplinary collaboration and flexible learning pathways.
Results and conclusions
Based on the data, distinct institutional and disciplinary internationalisation patterns emerge.
- High number of English bachelor’s programmes at TU/e.
- High number of international staff at TU/e and some UU departments.
- High number of international master students and PhD candidates at WUR.
- Biomedical and Health sciences discipline is more bound by regulations of the professions for which they train students, leading to study programmes mostly in Dutch. However, in contrast to the education, the research in this discipline is internationally oriented.
- STEM disciplines have varied links to regulated professions and Dutch proficiency is less of a requirement for employers.
- Most international students studying for regulated professions are in Social Sciences and Engineering.
- Humanities and Earth Sciences contain study programmes leading to non-regulated professions, leading to many English programmes.
- Education offered in English.
- Labour market demands and regulations.
- The percentage of international staff and PhD candidates already in the discipline.
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