As one explores the landscape of American universities today it is not uncommon to come across such terms as global citizenship, global engagement, global society, and globalization. This terminology can be found as part of an institution’s strategic plan as well as within its mission and vision statements. Examples of these can be found at Michigan State University, Penn State University, and New York University where the efforts to globalize the American college campus are evident. These institutions are just a few among a sea of universities and colleges in the United States that have adopted a new global perspective in higher education. This is evident through well organized programs and departments that look to not only make an impact on the institutions’ student body, faculty, and staff but on the domestic and international business communities and society as a whole.
There is an increasing need to graduate students who are globally competent and institutions of higher education are looking to meet the demand. Several factors have contributed to this demand, for instance technology has been a driving force in facilitating communication among countries leading to an increase in global exchanges. Friedman (2007) points to the influence of the world wide web and the internet as having made significant impacts on how easily we can reach out to our neighbors in foreign lands therefore making the world a little smaller and, in his words, flatter. Another factor influencing leaders in higher education towards incorporating a more global view comes as a result of the current economic crisis that spans the world over. American corporations and political leaders are beginning to experience the impact that foreign economic markets are having domestically, threatening the progress of our own economy. Finally, the catalyst to incorporate a global mindset and world view within higher education in the United States may have come as a result of the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Since the attack on the twin towers higher education has seen an increasing trend to incorporate responsible global practices on campus.
The demand to globalize higher education has created challenges among university leaders to look beyond programming and transform the curriculum to include a global perspective. According to Forest (2002) the term globalization in the context of higher education, “…is typically used to describe a trend of institutions, faculty and students developing an increasingly sophisticated understanding of---and salient relationships with---their counterparts worldwide” (p. 435). The concept of globalization is complex and existing research is considerably lacking. Furthermore, there is little consensus amid academicians as to a universal definition of globalization. According to Kienley and Loyd (2005), “The task of defining globalization is difficult due to the complexity of the phenomenon, hence the array of definitions offered by scholars tend to be lengthy and intricate” (p. 581).
The impression that globalization is one dimensional in terms of its definition is often disputed in the literature. Research on the concept seems to indicate that globalization is influenced by several factors that are not exclusive to world economic circumstances. For instance, Weber and Duderstadt (2008) argue that globalization is characterized by economic influences yet the phenomenon is multi-dimensional as it is also political, social, and cultural in nature. In a study conducted by Wood (2010) the term globalization is utilized to represent an international system that is shaping society today.
What does globalization mean for the state of higher education? Specifically, what are institutions of higher education doing to globalize their college campuses and graduate responsible global citizens. Kienle and Loyd (2005) stress the importance among universities and colleges as to how they respond to globalization and how this, “…will determine their prosperity, viability, and success for years to come. The decisions of leaders in policy-making, curriculum design, governance, and management of over 3,600 institutions in this country will have an immense impact on the future of American higher education” (p. 580). Jackson (2008) links both globalization and internationalization as being similar concepts and says that the internationalization of higher education can take diverse forms to include student and faculty exchange programs, internships or service learning opportunities in a foreign country, and adopting a globalized curriculum on home campuses (p. 350).
As globalization continues to transform higher education, academic leaders are looking for new and innovative ways to differentiate their international programs from others. There is an overall consensus in the literature as to the role American institutions of higher education play in creating environments that promote global awareness. It is also evident from the review of the literature that globalization and higher education are interconnected as they both influence one another. Globalization demands the training of qualified individuals to successfully interact with cultures different then their own and higher education is responding to the challenge by transforming its college campuses to expand on the definition of what it means to be a globally responsible citizen.
References
Forest, J.F. (2002). Globalisation, universities, and professors. Cambridge Review of International Affairs, 15, 435-450. doi:10.1080/09557570220000109602
Friedman, T.L. (2007). The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century. New York: Picador.
Jackson, J. (2008). Globalization, internationalization, and short-term stays abroad. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 32, 349-358.
Kienle, A.W., & Loyd, N.L. (2005). Globalization and the emergence of supranational
organizations: Implications for graduate programs in higher education administration. College Student Journal, 39(3), 580-587.
Weber, L.E. and Duderstadt, J.J. (Eds.). (2008). The globalization of higher education. London: Economica Ltd.
Wood, V.R. (2010). Globalization and higher education: Eight common perceptions from
university leaders. Retrieved from the Institute of International Education website:
http://www.iienetwork.org/page/84658/
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