Enhancing the engagement of academic staff in international education; Background paper 2

Internationalisation is not a new concept in higher education (Altbach 2004). The “wandering scholar” has been an integral and accepted member of the higher education community since the Middle Ages. However, the shape and purpose of internationalisation in higher education has undergone many changes over time. It has also been conceptualised and enacted differently in different places around the world. There are a number of regional variations in its enactment and many claims made in relation to its worth and value for nations, institutions and individuals. The focus in this paper is on internationalisation in higher education in Australia and Europe today, on
the role of academic staff in this activity and on how we can enhance their engagement with the concept and the reality. This is not intended as a statement of the value of internationalisation in higher education in places outside Europe and Australia or to imply that there is nothing to be learned on this topic from them. It is a pragmatic necessity. Our purpose in the symposium is to share learning from our own experiences and exchange ideas and possibilities for the future. The paper argues that the engagement of academic staff in international education is critical to its success and that it is in fact urgent that we find new and effective ways to engage academic staff purposefully in its enactment in both Europe and Australia. It begins by briefly outlining the reasons why we should engage academic staff in international education, with reference to the history and current state of
international education in Australia and Europe. It describes some current issues related to staff engagement in international education and some strategies that have been and others that might be used to engage academic staff in international education. It finishes by posing some questions for consideration as we move into the future – questions that we are likely to be able to answer more effectively through collaboration and conversation than in isolation.