Globalisation in higher education : manifestations and implications

Abstract

Globalisation has been adding a permanent new dimension to the world of higher education. So-called transnational or cross-border education is conceptualized here as a complement to the well-established internationalisation process. The paper elaborates on major aspects of globalisation in higher education, namely changes in the degree mobility of students, recent trends in the international mobility of scholars and also the increase in cross-border provision of study programmes (“programme mobility”). Under the latter dimension, the paper focuses on the establishment of branch campuses and foreign-backed institutions and compares different national export and import strategies. After an overview of current globalisation “manifestations” has been provided, possible implications will be sketched as a conclusion.