How do European higher education institutions internationalize?

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Seeber ◽  
Michele Meoli ◽  
Mattia Cattaneo

Due to the threat posed by COVID-19, many colleges and universities around the world opted to switch to online courses and smart working to keep their students, professors, and staff safe during the pandemic emergency. Face-to-face classes, including labs and workshops, have been canceled and substituted with online activities. New administrative procedures have also been established to support the emergency remote education. This article analyzes these changes in light of the experiences of three higher education institutions in different countries, namely Latvia, Poland, and Italy. From this analysis, some aspects have emerged that have stimulated a deeper reflection on the use of digital technology in higher education. .


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-214
Author(s):  
M. Isabel Sanchez-Hernandez ◽  
Dolores Gallardo-Vazquez ◽  
Beatriz Corchuelo Martinez-Azua

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the students’ opinion on their proficiency in one or more foreign languages, and the importance they attribute to their foreign language competence because the adaptation to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) implies the promotion of the mobility of teachers and students. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative and quantitative approach conducted at the University of Extremadura in Spain. The method used was to triangulate the data resulting from three quite different procedures: promoting the participating students’ awareness of the issue through a seminar on the importance of mastering other languages and their relevance for graduate employability; inquiring into the students’ impressions when receiving an English class with a focus group; and a questionnaire on their opinions about the importance of proficiency in foreign languages. Findings – The findings highlight how teaching in English in European universities could bring real opportunities for the development of the EHEA. Furthermore, the development of foreign languages competences have to be a priority line of innovation in higher education in order to build a more meaningful relationship between education institutions and the European project. Research limitations/implications – The study is a first attempt to analyse the need to teach in English in European higher education institutions. Results are not completely generalizable because the study has been conducted in one university, in the field of social sciences in the branch of Economics and Business, and it has been examined only the views of students. Originality/value – The paper draws attention to the need for, and suggestions on how higher education institutions can be more aware to the needs of developing studentś English competences when designing programmes in the EHEA.


Author(s):  
Eglė Virgailaitė-Mečkauskaitė ◽  
Velta Lubkina

<p>Since integration and globalization processes are accelerating in the world, the demand to internationalize education and studies increases as well as parameters of the activities of higher education institutions change. International competitive ability of European higher education area, international mobility and high level of university graduates’ employment as well as successful integration into international labour market are the main aims of Bologna process. Bologna declaration, various documents of conventions (European convention of higher education institutions, Salamanca) and communiqué documents (of Prague; Berlin; Bergen) related to the declaration devoted to the creation of common European Higher Education Area raise the necessity of higher education policy emphasizing internationalization, the conception of lifelong learning. The documents mentioned above emphasize the development of European dimensions and content internationalization in study programmes, training of a flexible, mobile, constantly improving and public active specialist who will integrate into the competitive labour market, mobility of the academic community and international cooperation. The development of intercultural competence becomes a more topical subject of the research taking globalization processes into consideration. That is why it is important to understand the influence of internationalization processes in the institution on the development of Master’s degree (MA) students’ intercultural competence through their experience gained in the study process. The aim of the research presented in this article is to discuss the influence of internationalization processes in the institution on the development of MA students’ intercultural competence. A scientific problem question raised in the research is how MA students telling their life story reveal the experience gained in the process of higher education internationalization which influenced the development of their intercultural competence.</p>


Author(s):  
Elena De la Poza ◽  
Martijn Rietbergen ◽  
Javier Orozco-Messana

This work deals with the design and development of the SSVC module, which is organised and implemented by European Higher Education Institutions in partnership with Vietnamese Universities. The reform of the Higher Education in Vietnam requires new pedagogical practices and methods which are used in the SSVC module. In addition, the  process of design must include the adjustment of the European content and pedagogical methods into Vietnamese circumstances. Finally, the programme needs to be piloted and assessed.


2020 ◽  
pp. 181-194
Author(s):  
Inga Sina ◽  
Aija Sannikova ◽  
Fawad Sajjad

This paper summarizes the arguments and counterarguments within the scientific discussion on the issue of brands of European Higher Education Institutions as a key factor for foreign students. The globalization of education processes and the creation of a united European education area have increased foreign students' interest to study in Europe.Increasing unemployment, poverty, inconsistency in education, economic problems, political instability, low job opportunities, and unsafe environment are the undeniable reasons for young students to explore higher education opportunities in foreign countries. The main purpose of the research is to describe the factors affecting foreign students' choice ofEuropean Higher Education Institutions and provide information on the factors, which are of great importance. For achieving the aim, the previous research and scientific literature are studied, and a survey is conducted using a questionnaire. Investigation of the topic of brands of European Higher Education Institutions as a key factor for foreign students in the paper is carried out in the following logical sequence: the study of previous research and scientific literature and analysis of the survey results. Methodological tools of the research methods are the creation of a database of respondents, a survey on the factors impacting the choice of Higher Education Institutions in Europe by foreign students and analysis and interpretation of the survey results using nonparametric tests. The object of research is the field of Higher Education in Europe, and the subject of the research is consumer choice in Higher Education in Europe. The paper presents the results of an empirical analysis on brands of European Higher Education Institutions as a key factor for foreign students. It showed that four groups of factors – regional, political financial, and educational – play a significant role in the choice of European Higher Education Institutions by foreign students. The research empirically confirms and theoretically proves that the most significant role in the choice of Higher Education Institutions in Europe for all level of students – Bachelor's, Masters and Doctors - play educational factors, the least significant role – political factors. The results of the Kruskal-Wallis H test show that there are statistically significant differences in the assessment of the role of factors in choosing the place of studies in Europe in different levels of study programs. The results of the research can be useful for decision-makers in Higher Education Institutions in Europe when working out different student attraction strategies, thus increasing the number of students and competitiveness. Keywords foreign students, globalization, Higher education, International Business Administration, students' choice.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1-2019) ◽  
pp. 78-91
Author(s):  
Lisa Mense ◽  
Stephanie Sera ◽  
Sarah Vader

Against the background of recent changes to EU legislation to meet the demands and needs of LGBTIQ* communities, the authors seek to situate a queered and diversified understanding of gender firmly at the centre of the gender equality discourse in higher education (HE). Based on case examples, the legal and discursive status quo in German and Dutch HE institutions as well as actors’ motivations, challenges and opportunities are examined through a queer lens. The results highlight how differently EU legislation is transposed into national law. They also show that change is currently driven by highly motivated individual actors, be they students, gender equality and diversity officers, or individual institutions. We argue that queering and diversifying should be understood and used as modes to reflect on and analyse the processes that lead to heteronormative understandings of gender in HE and to develop strategies that take the complexities of gendered identities and discrimination into account.


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