Globalisation and Internationalisation

While globalisation is used to describe a very comprehensive and multifaceted process (cultural, economic and information technological development particularly gaining speed in the nineties), internationalisation is often (but not only) used about more tangible strategies to meet this development.

Globalisation has lead to more rapid transfer of capital, information and knowledge. Internationalisation of higher education is in SIU's Strategy 2005-2010 defined as:

• "Internationalisation is the exchange of ideas, knowledge, goods and services between nations across national borders. The perspective is consequently that of the individual nation. In higher education, we take internationalisation to mean “…the process of integrating an international, intercultural and global dimension in the objectives, organisation and actions of the institutions” (Jane Knight, 2003).

"Internationalisation of Norwegian institutions of higher education" is about the institution's strategies and actions to meet the demands and take advantage of the possibilities rising as a result of globalisation.

Norwegian politics and Norwegian institutions
Internationalisation in higher education in Norway is first and foremost related to the aim of improved quality. The matter of academic quality concerns topics such as

• Educational relevance
• Knowledge of culturally and economically important countries to Norway
• Contact with international research environments

Internationalisation was one of the key elements in the decision to implement the Quality Reform in 2003. From describing mobility of researchers and students, internationalisation is supposed to have an important position at the institution, embedded in management, administration and specialist environments.

International cooperation in higher education has for a long time been part of Norwegian international development politics. A new aspect is that higher education to a certain extent also is integrated in Norwegian foreign policy, as a tool of bilateral contact.

The international context
The internationalisation takes place in a national context under constant influence from outside. In Norway, internationalisation of higher education has found its form mainly through cooperation with the EU. Norway is also actively involved in the Bologna process, where new forms of internationalisation are being tried and introduced. Norwegian institutions and specialist environments are members of international organisations, principally Nordic and pan-European ones.

Internationalisation of higher education is also to a large extent affected by other institutions, out of the institutions of higher education's direct contact. The most central ones are OECD and WTO.

SIU’s website about internationalisation
One of SIU’s tasks is to support Norwegian universities and university colleges in their process of internationalisation. On SIU’s web, the sites about internationalisation contain information about and links to topics of current interest as well as resources for everybody working within internationalisation in higher education. The sites also hold information about countries and regions, mainly prioritised areas beyond SIU’s programme administration.

SIU is also responsible for promoting Norway as a venue for study and research .

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