The Internationalisation Agenda: a critical look at the conceptualisation and rationalisation of internationalisation in public universities in Ghana

Abstract

Using postcolonial theory, this paper discusses the conceptualisation and rationalisation of internationalisation in some universities in Ghana. The paper is based on a study conducted to critically examine internationalisation in three public Ghanaian universities. It is argued that although internationalisation is a major concept at the universities, there are different nuances in how it is perceived and conceptualised there. There are also differences in its rationalisation. These different nuances are presented as internationalisation models at the universities. This paper argues for the need of a critical debate of internationalisation, one that is not perceived in the dominant neoliberal way but that emphasises diversity, and that is defined to suit the specific context of Ghana.     

在自治与问责之间:美国公立研究型大学与州政府的关系

作为美国研究型大学系统中的后来者,美国公立研究型大学之所以能够发展壮大,并和私立研究型大学并驾齐驱,在很大程度上得益于其独特的管理体制.本文从美国公立研究型大学管理体制的形成、州一级的高等教育管理与协调机构对公立研究型大学的管理、州长对公立研究型大学管理三个层面,对公立研究型大学管理体制的独特性及其影响机制与方式进行了深入而详尽的探讨.     

Internationalising higher education: comparing the challenges of different higher education institutions in Malaysia

Internationalisation of higher education in Malaysia is seen as a means for improving and empowering higher education so that the higher education institutions in the country can become comparable to the best in the world. While the government has spelt out the directions as well as some of the targets for internationalisation, higher education institutions in the country have been internationalising for different reasons and with different levels of priority and intensity. Public universities, especially the older ones, have been engaged in internationalisation as part of their academic growth and development. Concurrently, a variety of private institutions of higher learning has evolved since the opening up of private higher education from the 1980s. These include private universities that have been established by large corporations, smaller private colleges that have been elevated to the status of degree-conferring institutions as well as branch campuses of foreign universities. The objective of this paper is to examine the different concepts and challenges of internationalisation faced by the different types of higher education institutions in the country, using the case study approach. It was found that in each of these cases, the concept of internationalisation and the challenges faced are different, although funding is raised as a problem in three of the four cases. These different challenges imply that current policies may have to be fine-tuned in order to address the different needs of these institutions in their respective efforts to internationalise.     

美、日“后大众阶段”高等教育体系比较与借鉴

美国和日本两国“后大众阶段”的高等教育体系均为三层结构,但在具体构成上存在差异。美国高等教育体宗由私立大学、州立大学、社区学院三种类型、三个层次的高等教育机构构成,分别对应精英、大众和普及三种“理想型”;日本高等教育体系是由国立大学、私立大学和短期大学、高等专科学校、专修学校构成的三层构成,经历了一个调整完善的过程。我国缺乏面向大众化和普及化的制度设计,必须根据“后大众阶段”的发展需要,加强高等教育体系建设。     

Using university rankings as a potential indicator of student experiences in American higher education

Students at America’s most renowned private universities face different acceptance rates, college wealth, class sizes, and potential graduate earnings even in comparison with students at the nation’s highest-ranking public institutions. The analyses that led to these findings frequently focused on national or state-wide comparisons of public versus private universities. This paper contrasts these studies by analysing a fixed group of colleges, those regularly listed in the global top 50 of research and reputation rankings. It argues that even within this small subset of colleges, the highest-ranking public universities have more in common with their similarly positioned private counterparts than with lower ranking public institutions; a finding reflected in assessments of private colleges. Subsequently, the paper finds that student experiences are more likely defined by a college’s reputational rank than by an institution’s public or private status, endowment, or acceptance rates, however, the same was found not to be true of potential graduate earnings.     

协调公立与私立高校的关系,推进教育和谐发展——美国的实践和经验

美国高等教育经历了一个由私立高校一统天下到公立高校逐步兴起,再到两者并驾齐驱,并最终公立高校占主流地位的历史发展过程。美国能够最早实现高等教育大众化,靠的就是私立高校和公立高校的共同努力来实现的。在这个过程中,美国政府通过立法和财政资助等途径,不断协调公立与私立高校的关系,推进教育和谐发展。     

延续与变迁:21世纪初的香港高等教育发展与改革

本文在概述香港高等教育发展历程的基础上,分析了世纪之初香港高等教育所面临的主要问题、重要改革举措和政策变革。香港高等教育在21世纪初的主要发展和改革表现在：素质评鉴机制的制度化,大学管治体制和教职员薪酬制度的改革,大学角色的再定位,社区学院和私立大学的发展,以及大学教育的国际化等方面。这些改革对香港高校与政府的关系、高校的角色定位等都带来重要影响。香港高等教育的国际化发展,将使香港高校在中国内地高等教育体系中扮演越来越重要的角色,推动香港与中国内地高等教育的互动和发展。为此,香港与内地之间需要加强在高等教育政策上的协调与合作。     

Leadership and decision-making practices in public versus private universities in Pakistan

The goal of this study is to examine differences in leadership and decision-making practices in public and private universities in Pakistan, with a focus on transformational leadership (TL) and participative decision-making (PDM). We conducted semi-structured interviews with 46 deans and heads of department from two public and two private universities in Pakistan. Our findings indicate that leadership and decision-making practices are different in public and private universities. While differences were observed in all six types of TL-behaviour, the following three approaches emerged to be crucial in both public and private universities: (1) articulating a vision, (2) fostering the acceptance of group goals, and (3) high-performance expectations. In terms of PDM, deans and heads of department in public and private universities adopt a collaborative approach. However, on a practical level this approach is limited to teacher- and student-related matters. Overall, our findings suggest that the leadership and decision-making practices in Pakistani public and private universities are transformational and participative in nature.     

Diversification in Argentine higher education: Dimensions and impact of private sector growth

Private education is a remarkably dynamic area of change in post-secondary education, particularly in Latin America. Evidence of growth in the number of private institutions and enrollment suggests that higher education is becoming increasingly diversified into two sectors – public and private. While this appears to be true throughout Latin America, and much of the developing world, recent evidence from Argentina casts doubt on the degree to which private sector growth trends may actually translate into a significant increase in the impact of private institutions in higher education, where impact is proxied by the relative share of student enrollment and graduates. This study explores the dimensions and impact of private expansion in Argentina, and places the findings in a comparative (regional) and theoretical framework. The analysis shows that, despite unprecedented growth in the number of private universities, the public sector remains the dominant provider of university education. Private institutions, while certainly more numerous and training a growing number of students, do not account for a larger share of university enrollment. They have, however, developed specific niches (e.g., in graduate level training and in urban areas). Significantly, following a pattern of institutional proliferation found throughout Latin America, some private universities offer elite alternatives to prestigious public institutions. The findings serve to qualify apparent `gains' in private higher education and to underscore the need for further research into the relevant intrasectoral (public and private) dimensions of change in post-secondary education.     

The internationalisation agenda: a critical examination of internationalisation strategies in public universities in Ghana

Recently, various strategies have been adopted and adapted by universities in Ghana to re/position themselves in the international arena. Utilising postcolonial and neoliberal theories, this paper critically examines the internationalisation strategies of three public universities in Ghana. Although all the universities have adopted strategies to position themselves internationally, the rates at which these strategies have been introduced differ from one university to the other. Various factors including location, size, age and infrastructural strength influence the rate of involvement. It is argued that the strategies adopted by the universities appear to be embedded in postcolonialism and economic rationales based mainly on neoliberal economic thinking, which sees higher education as a quasi market place where knowledge is bought and sold. The paper argues that universities need to adopt strategies that are proactive and that promote alternative notions of internationalisation in ways that challenge the status quo.     

美国公立高校民营化倾向探究

21世纪初,随着美国经济的又一次衰退,美国公立高校的民营化趋势愈演愈烈,公立高校开始依赖私人资金,并不断扩大自主权。对近20年来美国公立高校经费来源结构的变化作大致的分析,有助于探究目前美国公立高校民营化倾向的原因及其表现,并分析其对教育公平性、教学质量、高校管理、乃至整个美国高等教育系统所产生的影响。     

Where is the gap between internationalisation strategic planning and its implementation? A study of 16 Dutch universities’ internationalisation plans

A dominant concern with internationalisation through the past decades has been the process of strategic transformation of universities. While strategic management has been perceived as a necessary and useful approach in the construction of internationalisation, many criticisms have been levelled against the application of strategic management in internationalisation. One of these criticisms is the ‘implementation gap’ between internationalisation strategic plans and their actual outcomes. Based on interview data collected from 73 key actors involved in internationalisation at 16 Dutch public universities, this research identifies 12 elements that comprise the concept strategic management and illustrates how educational practitioners in different sectors (research universities and universities of applied sciences) and job function levels (central and faculty) prioritise these elements. The key contribution of this research is the clarification of the areas where the ‘implementation gap’ exists and the causes of this gap. The findings of this research are particularly important in the midst of uncontested popularisation of strategic management, because they can help universities to reduce this gap and improve the effectiveness of their strategic management practices.     

加拿大高校办学模式对我们的启示

加拿大的大学都是公立大学，没有类似于英国或美国的私立大学。加拿大高校的办学模式及在办学过程中所表现出的特点，比西方其他发达国家的大学对我国高等教育的改革与发展更具启示性。     

Finding the next ‘wave’ in internationalisation of higher education: focus on Malaysia

This article presents a case study of Malaysia’s inroad in internationalising its higher education system for the past three decades and proposes recommendations and the way forward in internationalisation. Internationalisation is one of the critical agenda in Malaysia’s higher education transformation with an end target of becoming an international hub of higher education excellence by 2020. The country is no stranger in internationalisation as efforts in student mobility, academic programmes and international collaboration have started since the 1980s and 1990s. As with other higher education systems globally, it was the private sector that initiated and sustained efforts in internationalisation of Malaysian higher education. With the growth in international student enrolment, the country has established itself as a student hub; however, greater focus and clarity in direction should be set forward in accelerating Malaysia’s progress in internationalisation, with research and development as a potential catalyst. The article also questions Malaysia’s current standing with regard to internationalisation and the need in facilitating higher education institutions to build their capacity in internationalisation, highlighting the important roles of individual institutions at both public and private sector that drive the country’s internationalisation agenda.     

Job-seeking behaviour and job outcomes among Lebanese university graduates in private and public universities

This study, based on a questionnaire administered to graduates of private and public universities in Lebanon (N = 652), links job procurement to job satisfaction and occupational attainment. Significant differences in job procurement methods are found between male and female graduates and between graduates from private versus public universities. Job satisfaction is only affected by the job procurement method. The level of occupational attainment is affected by gender and job procurement method.     

Strategies for internationalisation at technical universities in the Nordic countries

This article investigates strategies for internationalisation at technical universities in the Nordic countries. The study explores the institutional rationales for internationalisation, the stories told in the strategy documents, the importance of leaders, faculty, administration and students for implementation of the strategy, and barriers and key components of successful internationalisation. We studied the strategic work with internationalisation across 27 technical universities in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. This work reflects both global trends of competition and the traditional Nordic model of cooperation. Overall, the universities incorporated internationalisation in their strategies in order to increase quality in research and education, and to establish strategic partnerships and networks. There is a shift in rationales from a more traditional approach of internationalisation to a new integrated form.     

巴西私立高等教育的发展与启示

巴西是最大的拉丁美洲国家,其经济总量为拉美之首,国内生产总值排名世界第七。随着经济的快速发展,私立高等教育在巴西蓬勃发展,大部分在校大学生就读于私立高校。文章通过概述巴西私立高等教育的发展历程和特点,探讨其对我国高等教育改革的启示。     

中日私立大学公共财政资助之比较及启示

中日两国同属东方文化圈,但私立大学在当今日本高等教育体制中占绝对优势,而在中国高等教育体制中则处于弱势。公共财政资助是日本私立大学成功发展的重要原因之一。通过比较发现,中国私立大学公共财政资助观念淡薄、资助方式单一、资助立法缺乏操作性。因此有必要结合日本的成功经验和中国的具体国情,从比较的视角来重新审视中国私立大学公共财政资助问题:中国私立大学享受公共财政的前提是"非营利性";根据利益获得原则,私立大学应该享受公共财政;适当享受公共财政可实现政府对私立大学的宏观过程管理;公共财政资助方式可采取"两主两辅"模式;加强立法是公共财政资助的有力保障。     

中国民办大学培养专业硕士探索

民办高校试点硕士专业学位研究生教育,不仅能对民办高校起到引领和示范作用,也能对其它新建本科高校的改革与发展提供借鉴与经验,有利于民办高校提高办学质量,实现良性可持续发展。文章通过分析5所民办高校专业硕士微观层面的培养方案及激励政策,给出如下宏观建议：一是相关高校应联合起来组成中国民办大学专业硕士培养委员会。二是与欧美、港台高等教育发达国家或地区展开专业硕士研究生培养合作。三是与国内公办高等教育机构展开联合培养工作。     

Accommodating project-based professionals in higher education institutions in Japan

In the shifting environment of higher education, characterised by financial constraints, institutional competition and governmental steering, universities adopt a new stream of missions. In Japan, internationalisation and the acquisition of a global outlook have become a key strategy. The trend is endorsed through competitive public funding schemes, based on the belief that competition fosters so-called world-class universities. These schemes necessitate not only internationalisation of curriculum and research but also a wide range of projects and programs, which require talents that may not be readily found in the existing cadres of university workers. This empirical research assesses experiences and perceptions of project-based professionals in Japanese universities. It found unique ways in which ‘Specially appointed academic staff’ are given project and administrative responsibilities but with limited access to environment and/or support system for research. Discussions focus on impacts of such appointment on their academic career and explore how these institutional projects may be handled in regards to university organisation.