By
Prof. Dr. Yang Farina Abdul Aziz
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
This article was written when she was on sabbatical in University of Otago, New Zealand
The mention of “internationalisation” conjures up a multitude of images in people’s minds. To some internationalisation would mean foreign students and perhaps mobility and exchange programmes for local students. To others internationalisation would mean setting up of foreign universities in Malaysia or provision of Malaysian education overseas such as Lim Kok Wing University in London. People especially those dealing in higher education react differently to internationalisation. The majority sees the bigger picture of the positive effect internationalisation can bring to higher education in Malaysia but there will pockets of people with images of colonisation and fear embedded in their minds.
So what is internationalisation? The advances made in information technology coupled with the mass transportation of people have turned the world into a global village. The mobility of ordinary people and the ease plus speed with which we communicate with each other has meant that we now live in a smaller world. In higher education, the term globalisation may generally be described as trends in higher education that is connected to cross-national implications. Knight in 1994 defined internationalisation as “Process of integrating an international and intercultural dimension into the teaching, research and service functions of the institutions” while van der Wende in 1997 broadened the definition to extend internationalisation beyond the institutional level with “Any systematic effort aimed at making higher education responsive to the requirements and challenges related to the globalisation of societies, economy and labour market”. In 2004 Knight redefined internationalisation as “The process of integrating an international, intercultural or global dimension into the purpose, functions or delivery of post-secondary education”. Internationalisation thus, may be seen as the term widely used for the response of higher education systems and institutions to trends of globalisation. The concept of internationalisation has evolved through the years depicting an ever-changing landscape where higher education is concerned. Issues pertinent to higher education over the last decade are varied and would include the knowledge economy and research, global choice for tertiary education, democratisation of education, funding, international growing scope for employers, the Internet and communication technology.
In my opinion the best way to understand internationalisation is to ponder over what Prof. Denise Bradley, former Vice-Chancellor and President of University of South Australia said when she delivered a keynote address in a conference hosted by Universiti Teknologi MARA in 2006, “Internationalisation strategies, when put into effect, require change at every level of the university as well as change how people think and how they behave. The culture of the University must be transformed.” Take for instance the world university rankings. It is phantom to be like a curse to some institutions but the reality of the situation is that globalisation has caused education to become like a service in trade, a commodity with lucrative money gains for those who knows what it takes to deliver the goods i.e. quality education. Hence, those in the business of higher education will have to respond to these new challenges brought on by globalisation in order to remain competitive. One of the challenges that would be common for the new borderless world is the introduction of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) that is an offshoot of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Under GATS, there should be progressive liberalisation in services that will include education. Under GATS all trade barriers must be removed and in education this will mean no subsidies for local providers, minimum delays in approvals, no tax discrimination and many other incentives that will provide advantage to the local providers. Basically, under GATS the competition will be made on a level playing field with no advantage given to local providers. Over the last 10 years we have witnessed the setting-up of foreign campuses in Malaysia. The question would be; can the local universities maintain the competitive edge? We don’t really have a choice, the market forces (the students and parents) would demand for the best that their money can “buy”. Anybody in the business of providing higher education would acknowledge that competitiveness can only be achieved by being productive but keeping your costs down. Even public institutions are under scrutiny with anticipated less funding from the government. Yes, the public universities are expected to generate more and more of their own income and thus productivity would be a crucial issue. It is exciting times ahead for higher education in Malaysia. We have to be effective in delivering quality education be it at the postgraduate or undergraduate level. The key word to compete at the global level would be quality at affordable cost.
Raising the quality of your programmes and keeping your costs down would involve raising the competency of everyone working at every level in the university. For the research universities for instance quality may be reflected by the numbers of patents, research products, publications in high impact journals, number of PhDs produced per year. These numbers have been translated into key performance indicators for the academic staff. We are expected to deliver by the year end when it is assessment time! A strong research culture may be enhanced by the presence of a strong professional technical service. Yes equipment maintained and usage optimised will go a long way towards publication in a high impact journal. Support staff too must play their role in ensuring records are dutifully kept in order and problems with bureaucracy are dealt with efficiently.
The transition to a knowledge-based economy has meant that the demand for tertiary education has increased. In Malaysia it is anticipated that the number of students in the 17-23 age cohort seeking further education will rise to 40% by 2010. On top of this local market there are the ever increasing international students. These international students provide foreign exchange for a country and Malaysia is targeting an enrolment of 100,000 foreign students by 2010. However, greater access to tertiary education has necessitated that programmes offered are subjected to quality assurance procedures. We are on the right track on matters pertaining to quality of programmes as the Malaysian Qualifications Agency monitors that issuance of degrees must conform to standards as outlined in the Malaysian Qualifications Framework. However, it is not enough to ensure quality degrees if support services accorded to the students are not up to par with world standards. Students’ services play an important role in giving the optimum conducive experience a student may have.
And what would a student demand and expect from a tertiary education? The students’ expectations will be greatly influenced by the requirements of potential employers. Increasingly, employers now look for a graduate with an international outlook. Employees are expected to adapt to changes quickly, possess good communication skills, are exposed to multicultural experiences, reliable, open minded, tolerant and ever ready to face the challenges of globalisation. The curricular in a university must therefore reflect the international component, which, may be interpreted as curricula aimed at preparing students for performing (professionally/socially) in an international and multicultural context. In Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia for instance, the double degree programme with University Duisburg Essen has attracted a lot of applicants. Families are willing to spend the additional funding for such a programme because it is seen as good investment for the students’ future. Of course, it would be impossible for everyone to be given the chance to experience a foreign country immersion programme. For the masses, the presence of foreign students on a local campus may add that extra international dimension.
A key thrust in the internationalisation programme of a university is the research activity. During my stint in the international office, many visitors come to UKM to seek collaborations in research. Research may be viewed as the main product offered to the community outside the university especially the international community. Research is the source for new knowledge ensuring the economic sustainability of a country. The importance of research to a university may be highlighted by a recent report in the University World News website. In an article aptly titled “Knowledge the only currency” it was reported “Lord (Digby) Jones, the ebullient Minister for Trade and Investment, and former Director General of the Confederation of British Industry, delivered a rousing introduction to the "Rethinking higher education" conference in London. Jones expressed a strong belief in the importance of universities as businesses to help promote 'Brand Britain'”.
I could not agree more with Lord Jones as higher education in this globalisation era would reflect the strength of a country. It is thus imperative that the Ministry of Higher Education move the internationalisation agenda which forms one of its seven thrusts in the strategic plan launched in August last year. The main issue that must be addressed is that tertiary education providers must adapt to the rapid changes brought on by globalisation in order to ensure a sustainable future and more importantly to turn Malaysia into a centre of excellence for education.
Internationalisation at its highest level will help promote Malaysia as a country and brand Malaysia as the country that offers quality products and services.
Prof. Dr. Yang Farina Abdul Aziz
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
This article was written when she was on sabbatical in University of Otago, New Zealand
The mention of “internationalisation” conjures up a multitude of images in people’s minds. To some internationalisation would mean foreign students and perhaps mobility and exchange programmes for local students. To others internationalisation would mean setting up of foreign universities in Malaysia or provision of Malaysian education overseas such as Lim Kok Wing University in London. People especially those dealing in higher education react differently to internationalisation. The majority sees the bigger picture of the positive effect internationalisation can bring to higher education in Malaysia but there will pockets of people with images of colonisation and fear embedded in their minds.
So what is internationalisation? The advances made in information technology coupled with the mass transportation of people have turned the world into a global village. The mobility of ordinary people and the ease plus speed with which we communicate with each other has meant that we now live in a smaller world. In higher education, the term globalisation may generally be described as trends in higher education that is connected to cross-national implications. Knight in 1994 defined internationalisation as “Process of integrating an international and intercultural dimension into the teaching, research and service functions of the institutions” while van der Wende in 1997 broadened the definition to extend internationalisation beyond the institutional level with “Any systematic effort aimed at making higher education responsive to the requirements and challenges related to the globalisation of societies, economy and labour market”. In 2004 Knight redefined internationalisation as “The process of integrating an international, intercultural or global dimension into the purpose, functions or delivery of post-secondary education”. Internationalisation thus, may be seen as the term widely used for the response of higher education systems and institutions to trends of globalisation. The concept of internationalisation has evolved through the years depicting an ever-changing landscape where higher education is concerned. Issues pertinent to higher education over the last decade are varied and would include the knowledge economy and research, global choice for tertiary education, democratisation of education, funding, international growing scope for employers, the Internet and communication technology.
In my opinion the best way to understand internationalisation is to ponder over what Prof. Denise Bradley, former Vice-Chancellor and President of University of South Australia said when she delivered a keynote address in a conference hosted by Universiti Teknologi MARA in 2006, “Internationalisation strategies, when put into effect, require change at every level of the university as well as change how people think and how they behave. The culture of the University must be transformed.” Take for instance the world university rankings. It is phantom to be like a curse to some institutions but the reality of the situation is that globalisation has caused education to become like a service in trade, a commodity with lucrative money gains for those who knows what it takes to deliver the goods i.e. quality education. Hence, those in the business of higher education will have to respond to these new challenges brought on by globalisation in order to remain competitive. One of the challenges that would be common for the new borderless world is the introduction of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) that is an offshoot of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Under GATS, there should be progressive liberalisation in services that will include education. Under GATS all trade barriers must be removed and in education this will mean no subsidies for local providers, minimum delays in approvals, no tax discrimination and many other incentives that will provide advantage to the local providers. Basically, under GATS the competition will be made on a level playing field with no advantage given to local providers. Over the last 10 years we have witnessed the setting-up of foreign campuses in Malaysia. The question would be; can the local universities maintain the competitive edge? We don’t really have a choice, the market forces (the students and parents) would demand for the best that their money can “buy”. Anybody in the business of providing higher education would acknowledge that competitiveness can only be achieved by being productive but keeping your costs down. Even public institutions are under scrutiny with anticipated less funding from the government. Yes, the public universities are expected to generate more and more of their own income and thus productivity would be a crucial issue. It is exciting times ahead for higher education in Malaysia. We have to be effective in delivering quality education be it at the postgraduate or undergraduate level. The key word to compete at the global level would be quality at affordable cost.
Raising the quality of your programmes and keeping your costs down would involve raising the competency of everyone working at every level in the university. For the research universities for instance quality may be reflected by the numbers of patents, research products, publications in high impact journals, number of PhDs produced per year. These numbers have been translated into key performance indicators for the academic staff. We are expected to deliver by the year end when it is assessment time! A strong research culture may be enhanced by the presence of a strong professional technical service. Yes equipment maintained and usage optimised will go a long way towards publication in a high impact journal. Support staff too must play their role in ensuring records are dutifully kept in order and problems with bureaucracy are dealt with efficiently.
The transition to a knowledge-based economy has meant that the demand for tertiary education has increased. In Malaysia it is anticipated that the number of students in the 17-23 age cohort seeking further education will rise to 40% by 2010. On top of this local market there are the ever increasing international students. These international students provide foreign exchange for a country and Malaysia is targeting an enrolment of 100,000 foreign students by 2010. However, greater access to tertiary education has necessitated that programmes offered are subjected to quality assurance procedures. We are on the right track on matters pertaining to quality of programmes as the Malaysian Qualifications Agency monitors that issuance of degrees must conform to standards as outlined in the Malaysian Qualifications Framework. However, it is not enough to ensure quality degrees if support services accorded to the students are not up to par with world standards. Students’ services play an important role in giving the optimum conducive experience a student may have.
And what would a student demand and expect from a tertiary education? The students’ expectations will be greatly influenced by the requirements of potential employers. Increasingly, employers now look for a graduate with an international outlook. Employees are expected to adapt to changes quickly, possess good communication skills, are exposed to multicultural experiences, reliable, open minded, tolerant and ever ready to face the challenges of globalisation. The curricular in a university must therefore reflect the international component, which, may be interpreted as curricula aimed at preparing students for performing (professionally/socially) in an international and multicultural context. In Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia for instance, the double degree programme with University Duisburg Essen has attracted a lot of applicants. Families are willing to spend the additional funding for such a programme because it is seen as good investment for the students’ future. Of course, it would be impossible for everyone to be given the chance to experience a foreign country immersion programme. For the masses, the presence of foreign students on a local campus may add that extra international dimension.
A key thrust in the internationalisation programme of a university is the research activity. During my stint in the international office, many visitors come to UKM to seek collaborations in research. Research may be viewed as the main product offered to the community outside the university especially the international community. Research is the source for new knowledge ensuring the economic sustainability of a country. The importance of research to a university may be highlighted by a recent report in the University World News website. In an article aptly titled “Knowledge the only currency” it was reported “Lord (Digby) Jones, the ebullient Minister for Trade and Investment, and former Director General of the Confederation of British Industry, delivered a rousing introduction to the "Rethinking higher education" conference in London. Jones expressed a strong belief in the importance of universities as businesses to help promote 'Brand Britain'”.
I could not agree more with Lord Jones as higher education in this globalisation era would reflect the strength of a country. It is thus imperative that the Ministry of Higher Education move the internationalisation agenda which forms one of its seven thrusts in the strategic plan launched in August last year. The main issue that must be addressed is that tertiary education providers must adapt to the rapid changes brought on by globalisation in order to ensure a sustainable future and more importantly to turn Malaysia into a centre of excellence for education.
Internationalisation at its highest level will help promote Malaysia as a country and brand Malaysia as the country that offers quality products and services.
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