Citizenship, society and international higher education

Abstract

Increased student mobility has been one of the most significant developments observed in the global landscape of higher education. Yet, research on student mobility often takes an individualized perspective on the benefits learners possess through internationalization. Meanwhile, the last two years were marked by the emergence of a new direction in internationalization - the Internationalization of Higher Education for Society (IHES). The surge in studies on how institutions can contribute to society through their internationalization strategies and efforts has proven that the phenomenon which for a long time was focused on individual gains and institutional branding, can evolve and address the larger purpose it serves. However, while many of these works highlight the directions IHES should follow and present good practices, still little is known about international students' perspectives of these dimensions. As a group that was identified as one of the vivid actors of IHES, it is not only reasonable but crucial to gain insight into their understandings, experience, and valorization of this topic. The primary objective of the study is to investigate how students understand the sense of global identity and community engagement through education abroad. By listening to their voices, it makes a methodological contribution in terms of extending the understanding of student mobility as an inherent part of the internationalization discourse in the globalized world. Furthermore, analyzing these voices and deducting their meanings serves towards the materialization of ill-defined concepts of global citizenship and International Higher Education for Society. Finally, the study aims at building a more complex understanding of the current state of international higher education phenomena by exploring connections between internationalization and its missions to society.