Geographies of Internationalization

Using a spatial approach, this project aims at exploring how internationalization affects the perception of quality, relevance and learning in higher education and how these perceptions travel with mobile academics. We explore six common instruments used for internationalization: Inbound Mobility, Outbound Mobility, English as a medium of instruction, International Specialisation, Internationalization at Home, and Mobility of Researchers. First, these instruments are examined individually. We ask what becomes "the right knowledge" when teaching in English. Who the "good student" is when you have students from all over the world. How it affects pedagogy when educators travel after inspiration. Next, we look across the instruments to investigate how internationalization of higher education affects what comes to count as quality, relevance, and learning. Finally, together with stakeholders, we develop material aimed at improving internationalization instruments, and how they are used.

Project group

Hanne Kirstine Adriansen, Associate professor, Aarhus University

Thilde Juul-Wiese, PhD student, Aarhus University

Taina Saarinen, Research professor, higher education studies, University of Jyväskylä, Finland

Johanna Waters, UCL, Department of Geography, UK

Lene Møller Madsen, Associate professor, Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen

Read more at the projects homepage.

Project period

The project is financed by DFF, Independent Research Fund Denmark, and lasts from 1/8 2019 until 30/7 2022