Inauguration of The Swedish Centre for Studies of the Internationalisation of Higher Education

”Internationalisation has always been important for Uppsala University and it impacts an increasing number of students, lecturers and researchers. It is therefore surprising that there is so little research on the internationalisation of higher education – so I look forward to following the research through the centre,” said Eva Åkesson at the inauguration on 7 November.

Mikael Börjesson is a professor of educational psychology and scientific head for the new centre for studies of the internationalisation of higher education.

”Life changes quickly, including the fact that there are more students than ever moving to and from Sweden, and there are more educational courses in Sweden that are offered in English than ever before. But we know so little about these students and how the internationalisation impacts the content of the courses, or the available range,” says Mikael Börjesson.

The centre is located at the Department of Education, but attracts researchers from various disciplines, including business economy, sociology of education and North American studies.

”Much of the research going on right now is unique to Uppsala University. But the  aim of the centre is to deepen and strengthen the research into the consequences of internationalisation in terms of teaching language, teaching methods, organisational issues, recruitment of lecturers, but also issues of study fees and whether international students have the right to remain in Sweden after their exams,” says Mikael Börjesson.

Dag Blanck, professor of North American studies, has researched into research migration which is a key part of the internationalisation of higher education.

”The lists of Swedes who have studied in the USA are a bit like ”Who’s that?”. There’s a huge flow of people who then come back and get jobs in a variety of different places within Swedish society. Those who study in the USA are often very affected by those years that create long lasting ties and experiences in a very effective way,” says Dag Blanck.

The centre will also deepen collaboration with the authorities and other external parties, such as the international office at Uppsala University, the Swedish Institute, the Swedish Council for Higher Education and the Swedish Higher Education Authority.  One area of collaboration is to offer Master's students topics on which to write essays in order to cover their learning needs.

”We want to link skills and interest in the subject – not only in research but also among professionals. Those who have a need for knowledge are very welcome to turn to us,” concludes Mikael Börjesson.

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Links

•  The Swedish Centre for Studies of the Internationalisation of Higher Education