Volume 5, Issue 2 (JUNE ISSUE 2024)                   johepal 2024, 5(2): 22-34 | Back to browse issues page

XML Print

Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Lim M A. (2024). Internationalisation and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Higher Education: The Promise of Internationalism and the Danger of Positionalism. johepal. 5(2), 22-34. doi:10.61186/johepal.5.2.22
URL: http://johepal.com/article-1-741-en.html
Internationalisation and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Higher Education: The Promise of Internationalism and the Danger of Positionalism
Miguel Antonio Lim *
Abstract:   (750 Views)
This article explores the emerging logics of internationalisation in higher education and the pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Drawing upon the work of Jonas Stier, it outlines the historical and philosophical aspects of internationalisation - particularly internationalism, educationalism, and instrumentalism - and shows how these can lead to what varieties of higher education internationalism. As academic institutions adapt to a changing global context where market and sustainability logics intertwine, this exploration reveals how new logics prioritise sustainability, equity, and social responsibility as goals linked to internationalisation agendas for higher education institutions (HEIs). However, this paper also raises the danger of HEIs’ seeking sustainability merely as a positional good, leading to positionalism, which leads to the performance of sustainability for ranking and reputational purposes rather than for making contributions to the global commons. The paper offers insights into how new perspectives on internationalism could lead to an alignment of academic work with global sustainability objectives, fostering a collective commitment to creating positive and lasting impacts on a global scale.
Keywords: Higher Education, Internationalism, International Policy, Positionalism, Rankings, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Full-Text [PDF 1462 kb]   (525 Downloads)    
Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2024/03/28 | Accepted: 2024/06/17 | Published: 2024/06/30
References
1. Altbach, P. G., & Knight, J. (2007). The internationalization of higher education: Motivations and realities. Journal of Studies in International Education, 11(3-4), 290-305. [DOI]
2. Ashida, A. (2022). The role of higher education in achieving the sustainable development goals. In S. Urata, K. Kuroda, & Y. Tonegawa (Eds.), Sustainable development disciplines for humanity: Breaking down the 5Ps—people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnerships (pp. 71-84). Springer Singapore. [DOI]
3. De Wit, H. (2019). Internationalization in higher education, a critical review. SFU Educational Review, 12(3), 9-17. [DOI]
4. Giroux, H. A. (2014). Neoliberalism's war on higher education. Haymarket Books.
5. Hazelkorn, E. (2011). Rankings and the reshaping of higher education: The battle for world-class excellence. Palgrave Macmillan.
6. Jessop, B. (2012). A cultural political economy of competitiveness: And its implications for higher education. In D. W. Livingstone, & D. Guile (Eds.), The knowledge economy and lifelong learning: A critical reader (pp. 57-83). SensePublishers. [DOI]
7. Knight, J. (2008). Higher education in turmoil: The changing world of internationalization. Brill.
8. Krucken, G., & Meier, F. (2006). Turning the university into an organizational actor. In G. S. Drori, J. W. Meyer, & A. H. Hwang (Eds.), Globalization and organization: World society and organizational change (pp. 241-257). Oxford University Press. [DOI]
9. Lauder, A., Sari, R. F., Suwartha, N., & Tjahjono, G. (2015). Critical review of a global campus sustainability ranking: GreenMetric. Journal of Cleaner Production, 108(Part A), 852-863. [DOI]
10. Laufer, M., Leiser, A., Deacon, B., Perrin de Brichambaut, P., Fecher, B., Kobsda, C., & Hesse, F. (2021). Digital higher education: A divider or bridge builder? Leadership perspectives on edtech in a COVID-19 reality. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 18, 1-17. [DOI]
11. Leal Filho, W., Salvia, A. L., Frankenberger, F., Akib, N. A. M., Sen, S. K., Sivapalan, S., Novo-Corti, I., Venkatesan, M., & Emblen-Perry, K. (2021). Governance and sustainable development at higher education institutions. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 23(4), 6002-6020. [DOI]
12. Lim, M. A. (2021). The business of university rankings: The case of Times Higher Education. In E. Hazelkorn, & G. Mihut (Eds.), Research handbook on university rankings: Theory, methodology, influence and impact (pp. 444-453). Edward Elgar Publishing. [DOI]
13. Lim, M. A. (2018). The building of weak expertise: The work of global university rankers. Higher Education, 75(3), 415-430. [DOI]
14. Lim, M. A., Anabo, I. F., Abdullah, D., & Joshi, A. (2023). Asia-Europe higher education mapping: Working towards the SDGs (ARC9 Report). Asia-Europe Foundation. [Article]
15. Lim, M. A., & Williams Øerberg, J. (2017). Active instruments: On the use of university rankings in developing national systems of higher education. Policy Reviews in Higher Education, 1(1), 91-108. [DOI]
16. Lyon, T. P., & Maxwell, J. W. (2011). Greenwash: Corporate environmental disclosure under threat of audit. Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, 20(1), 3-41. [DOI]
17. Marginson, S. (2007). Global university rankings: Implications in general and for Australia. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 29(2), 131-142. [DOI]
18. Marginson, S. (2011). Higher education and public good. Higher Education Quarterly, 65(4), 411-433. [DOI]
19. Marginson, S. (2016). The worldwide trend to high participation higher education: Dynamics of social stratification in inclusive systems. Higher Education, 72(4), 413-434. [DOI]
20. Marginson, S., & Sawir, E. (2011). Ideas for intercultural education. Palgrave Macmillan.
21. Selby, D., Jones, P., & Kagawa, F. (2009). Sustainability promotion and branding: Messaging challenges and possibilities for higher education institutions. Sustainability, 1(3), 537-555. [DOI]
22. Slaughter, S., & Rhoades, G. (2009). Academic capitalism and the new economy: Markets, state, and higher education. Johns Hopkins University Press.
23. Steele, W., & Rickards, L. (2021). Sustainable futures. In The sustainable development goals in higher education: A transformative agenda (pp. 247-267). Palgrave Macmillan Cham. [DOI]
24. Stier, J. (2004). Taking a critical stance toward internationalization ideologies in higher education: Idealism, instrumentalism and educationalism. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 2(1), 1-28. [DOI]
25. Stier, J. (2006). Internationalisation, intercultural communication and intercultural competence. Journal of Intercultural Communication, 6(1), 1-6. [DOI]
26. Stier, J. (2010). International education: Trends, ideologies and alternative pedagogical approaches. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 8(3), 339-349. [DOI]
27. United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. United Nations. [Article]
Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

© 2024 CC BY-NC 4.0 | Journal of Higher Education Policy And Leadership Studies

Designed & Developed by : Yektaweb