Rethinking Academic Globalisation

In the 21st century, universities across the world have increasingly recognised internationalisation as a defining element of their institutional identity and strategic growth. Traditionally, higher education institutions engaged in global collaborations primarily through student exchanges, faculty visits, and occasional joint research initiatives. However, the contemporary landscape of internationalisation has evolved significantly. Today, it encompasses far more intentional, integrated, and outcome-driven approaches aimed at enriching multicultural exposure, enhancing global competencies, and generating collaborative knowledge. The modern way of internationalisation cuts across a holistic matrix of institutional aspirations, in-house capacities, and carefully cultivated global partnerships. As universities strive to prepare students as industry-ready professionals and global citizens, their internationalisation strategies are undergoing a transformative shift toward value-driven, bespoke, and sustainable models.

At the core of this transformation lies a broader understanding of why universities pursue global engagement. International collaborations are no longer limited to symbolic partnerships or prestige-building alliances. Instead, they serve critical functions: exposing students and faculty to multicultural environments, enabling the exchange of best academic and administrative practices, fostering global citizenship, and generating interdisciplinary knowledge through collaborative research and teaching. These objectives reflect the increasing interconnectedness of global societies and economies and underscore the responsibility of universities to prepare graduates capable of navigating complex global challenges.

Despite this recognition, traditional models of internationalisation have often fallen short in producing substantive, measurable outcomes. Many collaborations have existed merely on paper, yielding limited benefits for students and faculty. As a result, universities today are compelled to rethink how global partnerships are structured, implemented, and evaluated. A modern value-based mechanism is essential, especially one that ensures collaborations translate into meaningful academic experiences, skill development opportunities, and impactful research. This mechanism must consider the institution’s internal resources, the aspirations of its academic community, and the potential of its global networks. Such an integrated and strategic approach ensures that internationalisation is not an isolated activity but rather a core component of institutional culture and development.

The need for bespoke models of internationalisation has therefore become more prominent. Instead of relying on conventional, one-size-fits-all models of collaboration, universities are now tailoring their global engagement strategies to reflect the specific needs of their students, faculty, and institutional goals. For instance, while student mobility has long been considered a primary mode of international exposure, it no longer appeals uniformly to all students or institutions. Traditional long-term mobility programmes, such as dual degrees, master’s progression pathways, or semester-long exchanges, may be effective for some, yet they fail to attract large numbers at many universities. Factors such as academic structure, programme compatibility, cultural preferences, and financial constraints often influence a student’s ability or willingness to participate.

Consequently, universities increasingly recognise the value of short-term mobility programmes. These programs, ranging from two-week study visits to two-month research immersions, offer students an accessible and immersive opportunity to experience global higher education and explore different cultural or geographical contexts without committing to lengthy stays abroad. Short-term models mitigate barriers related to finances, academic calendars, and personal responsibilities while still achieving the essential objective of global exposure. Their rise highlights a key principle of modern internationalisation: strategies must be grounded in authentic assessments of student and faculty needs. Before framing an internationalisation strategy, institutions must conduct thorough evaluations of their community’s requirements, capacities, motivations, and constraints. This ensures that international opportunities are both relevant and meaningful.

Financial considerations further complicate traditional mobility programs. Even with scholarships, many students and faculty struggle to afford the costs associated with international travel, accommodation, and living expenses. In response, universities have innovated with the concept of global classrooms, enabling international exposure without necessitating travel. Through virtual guest lectures, collaborative online courses, and faculty-led digital exchanges, global classrooms offer an inclusive, financially feasible form of international engagement. These models hinge on careful mapping of teaching and research interests among collaborating faculty, which is an essential prerequisite for ensuring that virtual interactions are academically meaningful. Global classrooms also democratize access to internationalisation, allowing students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds to benefit from international academic experiences.

Furthermore, emerging programme-specific collaborations, rather than broad institution-wide agreements, are becoming a hallmark of modern internationalisation. Universities are moving away from generic MoUs toward targeted partnerships that enrich specific academic programmes or disciplines. Such collaborations enable institutions to offer specialised global experiences, such as joint design studios for architecture students, cross-border moot courts for law students, or multinational business consulting projects for management students. These bespoke collaborations provide students with high-quality, context-specific global exposure and ensure that internationalisation aligns directly with programme objectives. Top-tier universities increasingly adopt such models to offer their students a “crème de la crème” global educational experience.

Faculty engagement also represents a critical element of the modern internationalisation process. Robust global partnerships depend on faculty members who are genuinely interested in and capable of collaborating across borders. Identifying such faculty champions, those motivated to participate in co-teaching, joint research, and international academic initiatives, is essential. To support this bottom-up enthusiasm, institutions can adopt a top-down facilitative approach. Bilateral thematic workshops, joint research symposia, and collaborative academic conferences create structured opportunities for faculty from different institutions to connect and explore areas of mutual interest. These engagements often serve as catalysts for sustained academic collaborations, resulting in co-authored publications, collaborative research grants, and shared pedagogical innovations.

In conclusion, the modern way of internationalisation among global universities represents a shift from symbolic alliances to meaningful, context-specific, and strategically designed collaborations. It emphasises holistic integration of global best practices, intercultural learning, and institutional capacity-building. As universities navigate an increasingly complex global environment, they must adopt internationalisation strategies that are flexible, inclusive, and responsive to the diverse needs of their communities. By embracing bespoke mobility models, virtual global classrooms, programme-specific collaborations, and faculty-driven initiatives, institutions can ensure that internationalisation serves as a transformative force towards preparing students as global citizens, fostering innovative research, and contributing to a more interconnected and collaborative world.

Views expressed are personal. The writer is Vice Dean and Director - Office of International Affairs & Global Initiatives, O.P. Jindal Global University