Being and doing internationalisation differently: the case of Education in an Italian university

Abstract

This paper focuses on an alternative analysis of the ways in which internationalisation can be conceptualised against a background of competitive neoliberal agendas and the current volatile geopolitical context. Given the lack of plural, democratic and reflexive transnational relations in higher education, it aims to contribute to critical reflections that have highlighted the need to promote alternative and more equitable approaches to the definitions and practices of internationalisation. The paper focuses on an analysis of internationalisation in the field of education in the context of an Italian university whose attention to the international dimensions of educational research, teaching and knowledge production has recently increased. The study consists of a case study which draws out alternative and more inclusive underlying principles for internationalisation through interviews with the actors involved and analysis of the governance structures based on documentary analysis. Through a literature review of international higher education and a mapping of university activities, the research examines how these initiatives might contribute to more inclusive approaches to internationalisation. Drawing on the empirical and theoretical work of the research, the paper ultimately calls for a rethinking of internationalisation that is not based on a neoliberal or economic rationale but is more open in its epistemologies and inclusive of alternative forms of knowledge.