Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education via Academica | May 1, 2014
More than 1,000 higher education leaders from 70 countries met in Miami this week to discuss how internationalization can help solve global inequities in health, education, and other social issues. Participants discussed, too, how internationalization can exacerbate existing inequities. Among the issues raised was the growing ubiquity of English at global universities; many international universities adopt English as a means to attract foreign students and improve their research rankings. For some universities, however, this is a point of controversy. Participants also discussed the potential of MOOCs to democratize higher education or consolidate existing hierarchies. Adam Habib, Vice Chancellor at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, called on universities to contribute to an online “global academy of commons” dedicated to broadening the reach of higher education rather than enhancing individual institutions’ own reputations.
TCS Insights: Many notable names in higher education gathered to discuss the importance of increased internationalization and how institutions can best attract students from abroad. Further usage of the web was also encouraged for the benefit students around the world.