Internationalization: Concepts, Complexities and Challenges

Internationalization is a term being used more and more to discuss the international dimension of higher education, and more widely postsecondary education.1 It is a term that means different things to different people and is thus used in a variety ofways. While it is encouraging to see the increased use and attention being given to internationalization, there is a great deal of confusion about exactly what it means. For some, it means a series of international activities such as academic mobility for students and teachers; international linkages, partnerships and projects; new international academic programs and research initiatives. For others, it means the delivery of education to other countries through new types of arrangements such as branch campuses or franchises, and using a variety of face-to-face and distance learning techniques. To many, it means the integration of an international, intercultural and/or global dimension into the curriculum and teaching learning process. Still others see international development projects and alternatively the commercial trade of higher education services as internationalization.