The Internationalization of Higher Education: Motivations and Realities

Jul 16, 2026

Internationalization of higher education is distinguished from globalization: globalization refers to economic, political, and societal forces shaping higher education, while internationalization covers policies and practices universities and individuals use to respond to the global academic environment. Motivations include commercial advantage, knowledge and language acquisition, curricular enrichment, and international student programs. The article outlines key initiatives, quality monitoring, and the role of English, mobility, research integration, and information technology, while highlighting inequalities in control between north and south.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

Journal of Studies in International Ehttjusiageob c/ The Internationalization of Higher Education: Motivations and Realities Philip G. Altbach and Jane Knight Journal of Studies in International Education 2007 11: 290 DOI: 10. 1177/1028315307303542 The online version of this article can be found at: [http://jsi.sagepub.com/content/11/3-4/290](http://jsi.sagepub.com/content/11/3-4/290) Published by: [http://www.sagepublications.com](http://www.sagepublications.com) On behalf of: Association for Studies in International Education Additional services and information for Journal of Studies in International Education can be found at: Email Alerts: [http://jsi.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts](http://jsi.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts) Subscriptions: [http://jsi.sagepub.com/subscriptions](http://jsi.sagepub.com/subscriptions) Reprints: [http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav](http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav)[ ](http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav)Permissions: [http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav](http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav)[ ](http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav)Citations: [http://jsi.sagepub.com/content/11/3-4/290.refs.html](http://jsi.sagepub.com/content/11/3-4/290.refs.html) >> Version of Record-Aug 30, 2007 What is This? Downloaded [from jsi.sagepub.com](from jsi.sagepub.com) at UNIV OF VIRGINIA on October 1, 2012 The Internationalization of Higher Education: Motivations and Realities Philip G. Altbach Jane Knight Globalization and internationalization are related but not the same thing. Globalization is the context of economic and academic trends that are part of the reality of the 21st century. Internationalization includes the policies and practices undertaken by academic systems and institutions—and even individuals—to cope with the global academic environment. The motivations for internationalization include commercial advantage, knowledge and language acquisition, enhancing the curriculum with international content, and many others. Specific initiatives such as branch campuses, cross-border collaborative arrangements, programs for international students, establishing English-medium programs and degrees, and others have been put into place as part of internationalization. Efforts to monitor international initiatives and ensure quality are integral to the international higher education environment. Keywords: cross-border higher education; internationalization; globalization of higher education; international student flows The international activities of universities dramatically expanded in volume, scope, and complexity during the past two decades. These activities range from traditional study-abroad programs, allowing students to learn about other cultures, to providing access to higher education in countries where local institutions cannot meet the demand. Other activities stress upgrading the international perspectivesand skills of students, enhancin

Jul 16, 2026

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