Re-imagining Internationalisation of Teaching and Learning for a Better Global Society: Perspectives on Internationalisation of Higher Education, Curriculum and Pedagogy

Abstract

Internationalisation of higher education, as impacted by globalisation, is primarily meant for improving the quality of education and global competitiveness among students for a better understanding of the world and rapidly emerging global challenges. With most universities internationalising education as part of their mission, vision, and strategies, it has also become an integral part of meeting institutional goals. Current real-world challenges—the pandemic, depleting natural resources, climate change, poverty, unemployment, food and energy security—necessitate creating opportunities for new ways of thinking and re-imagining the process of internationalising higher education and curriculum for global learning.

The educational goals of internationalisation require curricular and pedagogical strategies built around collaborations, local and networked learning environments, and engagement in global learning. These also require universities to revisit and re-imagine the pedagogical basis for the internationalisation of higher education in terms of inculcating and achieving 21st century skills, and addressing current global challenges. Like any systemic process that is inherently complex and dynamic, higher education internationalisation is also an ‘ongoing, ‘evolutionary’ and ‘developmental’ process. Driven by these considerations, this paper seeks to provide useful perspectives and insights as currently required to revisit and re-imagine the rationales and goals of internationalisation of teaching and learning, curriculum internationalisation, and pedagogical approaches for global learning for a better global society. It also gives brief insights into how residential living and learning settings on campus (locally in Singapore) will enhance international student engagement and global learning.