Internationalization and the Idea of a University: The Meaning of Liberal Education in the Era of Globalization

Abstract

This chapter re-examines John Henry Newman’s vision of a university and of a liberal university education and asks whether it remains relevant to the twenty-first-century research university in the era of globalization. The approach taken is first to highlight some common misinterpretations of Newman’s writings and then to clarify his view of the learning process, from which it is argued that internationalization and intercultural discourse were fundamental to his concept of a liberal education. Finally, it is argued that globalization, often considered a driver of homogeneity and a threat to cultural diversity, may serve to accentuate difference and stimulate diversity and innovation.