Abstract:

Internationalisation of higher education, mainly via graduate programs in English, is a process of integrating a global and intercultural dimension into the teaching, research and service functions of any academic institution. So university success lies in its ability to establish strategic connections with global partners. Best practice modalities of internationalisation include: newly established programs, institutional partnerships, student mobilities both ways, student exchange agreements, staff recruitment, research partnerships, recent research integrated with commerce, business and entrepreneurship techniques, conducting collaborative research in mutually agreed areas, as well as (under)graduate internships in various disciplines, constantly monitored quality, accreditation, co-supervision, external examinations, study/travel grants, institutional visit allowances, visiting professors, special tuition fees, establishing centres for language learning and culture, increased numbers of international offices, inter-institutional with inter-governmental partnerships, and enhancing international visibility. Still, internationalisation of higher education cannot be reduced to a narrow range of activities; instead, it is both a political initiative, aiming at peace and mutual understanding, and an economic one, targeting the needs of an increasingly globalised job market. For the approach to be successful, the link between international and local should not be ignored.