The imperative for international education

• Autores: Susana Gonçalves
• Localización: Exedra: Revista Científica, ISSN-e 1646-9526, Nº. Extra 1, 2010 (Ejemplar dedicado a: European perspectives on internationalization: sharing policies and good p ractices), págs. 13-28
• Idioma: portugués
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Resumen

  • The article explores the meaning, scope and dimensions of International Education as a concept, an ideology and a philosophy of education. From study abroad to the infusion of an international dimension in the curriculum, from international I&D teams to individual study visits, teaching abroad and conferences, from mobility to the appreciation of diversity, International Education includes a great many aspects and is in itself a challenging concept for education and policy makers. Why do we need to learn and teach in an international environment if the majority of us are not supposed to travel for work or training? Why internationalize what can be satisfactorily achieved through a national perspective? The article is not so committed to answer these questions in dept but to highlight the fact that there are better questions to guide our behaviour as educators. Very few would argue nowadays that a nationalist education is the best fit for the purposes of a nation.

    This can be seen as politically incorrect and blatant xenophobic behaviour. More useful and guiding questions related not to the why but to the how, when, and for what purposes.

    Thus, the article evolves from a brief discussion on topics such as student mobility and cosmopolitism to the more sensitive and broad questions of diversity and citizenship in a global world. The linkage between International education and Intercultural education is clarified and discussed.