Auftakt mit internationaler Perspektive

Keynote and Q&A

Reconfiguring Internationalization of Higher Education: Global Trends in Institutional Transformation

Since the emergence in the 1980s of internationalization as a key component of institutional governance in European higher education, universities and colleges around the world have developed formal institutional cooperation and exchange agreements, introduced international study programs (overwhelmingly in English) and recruited international students, professionalized the administration of internationalization and created facilities for supporting international students and staff, and attempted to develop effective ‘internationalization at home’ practices. As research-based data and statistics show, these activities have generally been very successful in considerably strengthening the international dimension in higher education. They have also been essential for the development of a remarkable global science system. As a consequence, internationalization of higher education has been referred to by some scholars as the new ‘Bildung’ of higher education, suggesting that internationalization has become a strategic area not only incorporating mobility and international education and research cooperation, but also, for example, the promotion of intercultural learning and dialogue, capacity building in the global South, decolonization, and gender equality.

In recent years serious challenges for the internationalization of higher education have come to the fore. These include intensifying geopolitical tensions, the growth of political parties that emphasize national interests and question key components of the internationalization of higher education, the increasing need to address climate change and promote sustainability, and the rapid rise of national/European security policies. This has led to adaptations of national internationalization policies for higher education with the introduction of new terms, such as ‘responsible internationalization’, ‘dual use of research’, ‘knowledge export procedures’, as well as a growing focus on science diplomacy and the importance of sustainability in internationalization. This presentation addressed the consequences of these challenges for higher education institutions, and the required reconfiguration of their internationalization strategies and practices.

Reconfiguring Internationalization of Higher Education: Trends in Institutional Transformation

Professor in Higher Education Studies, University of Oslo, Norway

Peter Maassen is Professor in Higher Education Studies at University of Oslo, Norway, and extraordinary professor at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. His main research interests include higher education governance and policy, academic freedom, and global science collaboration. He is currently member of the executive board of the Barratt Due Music Academy, Oslo, and envoy for Africa of the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities. He has produced over 250 international publications.

Herunterladen Präsentation Keynote - Prof. Dr. Peter Maassen (PDF)

Präsentation Keynote - Prof. Dr. Peter Maassen (PDF)

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Panel

Higher Education and Global Change – Strategies for Sustainable International Cooperation, Study, and Mobility

In an era of unprecedented global transformations, higher education institutions face the challenging task of navigating the complexity of rapidly evolving circumstances while promoting a sustainable internationalization. This panel discussion explored strategies and approaches for promoting sustainable international cooperation, enriching study programs and facilitating student and faculty mobility from and to Germany. Leading experts from science and strategic administration from German and European universities shared their experiences and views on addressing obstacles and leveraging new opportunities for sustainable development of ongoing internationalization efforts.

Panel „Strategies for Sustainable International Cooperation, Study, and Mobility“

HRK Vice-President for International Affairs, Equal Opportunities and Diversity, President of Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany

Angela Ittel ist seit 2021 Präsidentin der Technischen Universität Braunschweig. Zudem ist sie als Co-Präsidentin der TU9 Allianz und als Vizepräsidentin der Hochschulrektorenkonferenz für Internationales, Gleichstellung und Diversität aktiv. Sie promovierte in der Psychologie an der University of California at Santa Cruz, USA, und habilitierte an der FU Berlin und wurde 2008 zur Professorin für Pädagogische Psychologie an die TU Berlin berufen. Dort war sie von 2014 bis 2021 hauptamtliche Vizepräsidentin, verantwortlich für die Bereiche Strategische Entwicklung, Nachwuchs und Lehrkräftebildung. Angela Ittel ist aktives Mitglied in zahlreichen Gremien und Fachgesellschaften und war von 2019-2023 Vorstandsmitglied des Deutschen Akademischen Austauschdienstes (DAAD). 

Head of Education and Student Affairs Division, University of Milano – Bicocca, Italy

Dora Longoni is Head of the Education and Student Affairs Division at the University of Milano-Bicocca, where she is in charge of managing educational activities at all levels, student services, internationalisation and placement. From 2019 to Feb. 2024 she has been the Head of the International Relations Division at the University of Padua, in charge of implementing the university’s internationalisation strategy by managing processes and activities relevant to internationalisation at home and abroad. Dora has been working in the field of international relations since 1996 at Politecnico di Milano, where she has been the Head of the International Projects Service, in charge of international marketing and recruitment, international admissions, strategic partnerships and networks, international agreements, international mobility, and the promotion and management of EU-funded projects. She has been active as a lecturer on internationalisation at MIP-Politecnico di Milano, as a trainer in various EAIE courses and as a presenter at various conferences. She has been actively involved in the EAIE since 2005 and served as a member of the EAIE Board from 2012 to 2014, and of the Conference Programme Committee from 2014 to 2021. From 2023 Dora has been appointed as Vice-President of the Scientific Committee of Uni-Italia.

Professor in Higher Education Studies, University of Oslo, Norway

Peter Maassen is Professor in Higher Education Studies at University of Oslo, Norway, and extraordinary professor at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. His main research interests include higher education governance and policy, academic freedom, and global science collaboration. He is currently member of the executive board of the Barratt Due Music Academy, Oslo, and envoy for Africa of the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities. He has produced over 250 international publications.

Joint Director, Office of International Affairs, University of Hohenheim, Germany

Franziska Schenk ist seit 2009 an der Universität Hohenheim und hat seit 2012 die Leitung des Akademischen Auslandsamts inne. Sie ist u.a. für die internationalen Kooperationen und die Netzwerke der Universität, für die Forschermobilität, inkl. Welcome Center, und für das Sprachenzentrum verantwortlich. Zuvor war sie an der Universität Freiburg für internationale Zulassungen und Studiengangentwicklung zuständig. Sie studierte an den Universitäten Freiburg und La Sapienza in Rom Politikwissenschaft, Geschichte und Öffentliches Recht.