Internationalization of Higher Education and Science
The Poor get Poorer...? The Impact of the Corona Pandemic on International Students
Anna Marczuk (University of Konstanz) & Markus Lörz (DZHW)
Abstract:
The corona-pandemic did worsen the financial situation (Becker & Lörz 2020, Berkes et al. 2020) and the learning conditions of students (Traus et al. 2020, Winde et al. 2020, Marczuk et. al 2021), prolonging their prospective study duration (fzs 2020). However, less is known about the impact of the pandemic on social inequality (Adam-Gutsch et al. 2020, Zimmer et al. 2021). This paper focuses on the study duration of international students in the pandemic since they are generally more disadvantaged than native students, especially in German speaking countries (DAAD 2018). It assumes that the corona pandemic strengthens or compensates the already existing inequalities. On the one hand, the financial and learning disadvantages of international students should worsen during the pandemic, prolonging their study duration. On the other hand, socially integrated German students might struggle more with the current social isolation, resulting in a longer prospective study duration of native students. Multilevel analyses with the data „Studying in Germany during the corona-pandemic“ confirm most of these assumptions. Whereas international students expect longer study duration due to higher financial problems (of their parents), German students struggle more with social isolation and learning difficulties in the pandemic. All in all, everybody loses: The poor get poorer (financial disadvantage of international students got worse) but the advantaged ones lose too (German students lose their social and learning advantage).
Internationalization in the Early Career of Academics: Insights from a Comparative Analysis
Carole Probst (ZHAW)
Abstract:
The early career is a pivotal part of the academic career. The ways in which early career academics are socialised into the profession, guided, and supported to develop, has an important bearing on their individual careers and on academia. In my contribution, I will present findings from a comparison of three internationalisation aspects among early career academics across 20 higher education systems involved in the Academic Profession in the Knowledge-based Society (APiKS) global project, and focus particularly on the situation of early career academics in Switzerland.
A first aspect considered is the extent of internationalisation in the development of early career academics. Secondly, my presentation looks at the extent of internationalisation in terms of early career academics’ work activities (research, publication, teaching and external engagements), asking to what extent the international dimension is a constitutive element of their regular tasks. The third aspect asks how early career academics do observe the outcomes of internationalisation at their institutions as well as their institutions’ engagement for internationalisation.
The basis of my presentation is a chapter written together with four international colleagues: Chang Da Wan (Malaysia), Alenka Flander (Slovenia), Pamela Guzman (Chile) and Paula Tulppo (Finland).
Turning toward Internationalization of Higher Education as a Research Field
Abstract:
Making our higher education system more international, is a core element of our educational policy in Switzerland. In recent years, Swiss and European higher education institutions have increased the international aspect in their strategies by introducing international cooperation, student and staff exchange, credit measures, internationalised curricula. At the same time, there is (still) insufficient data available on the effect of internationalisation activities in Switzerland to generate analyses, comparisons and information and to inform decision-makers. Even across Europe, there is still no comprehensive set of rules for measuring the quality of international partnerships. In each country, in addition to the national strategies, the authorities call on higher education institutions to develop their own internal strategies, which also include international cooperation. Given the current geopolitical situation and the challenges facing higher education due to the pandemic, several aspects of internationalisation of higher education will increase in importance. In addition to interdisciplinarity, to name one example, the cross-cultural dimension of the curriculum will take a significant role. Where is our path leading us since we initially and almost exclusively focused on student exchange as a practice to internationalise education? Why does an improvement of quality in education and research necessitate curricular reforms and what about the relationship between internationalisation and quality? In inquiring into these and other questions in my presentation, I will contextualise my plea for internationalisation of higher education as a research field.