The Impact of Globalisation on Higher Education
In recent years, the term ‘globalisation’ has been defined in various ways. According to a definition provided by Albatch (2014), globalization is described as the broad economic, technological, scientific, specific policies and programmes, and new higher education trend. This view is also supported by Brodie (2017) who provide similar definitions; key points to the socio-cultural, political, and economic trends, and a growth in inter-dependence of national economies. Globalisation also can be regarded as “the direct consequence of the expansion of European cultures across the world via settlement, colonialization and cultural mimesis” (Waters, 1995, p.3). As explained earlier, globalisation has an effect in many ways. This essay will focus on the positive impact of globalisation on higher education (HE). It will first look at the role of English at university, it will then briefly analyze the development introduced by information technology (IT), and after that, it will describe the multinationalisation, which may lead to an increase in opportunity and inequality in HE in the future.
The Role of English
“English is the Latin of the 21st century” (Altbach, 2004, p.9), this statement makes English become the most important language and the main role in HE. English is the main medium of communication, research, scholarship and journals (Altbach, 2004), which makes the student who intends to study abroad prefer to learn or improve their English-language skills in the native-country (OECD, 2014);
The use of English is central for communicating knowledge worldwide, for instruction even in countries where English is not the language of higher education, and for cross-border degree arrangements and other programmes. (Altbach, 2004, p.9)
The prevalence of predominantly English-speaking destination reflects the progressive adoption of English as a global language. It may also reflect the fact that students intending to study abroad are likely to have learned English in their home country or wish to improve their English-language skills through immersion in a native English-speaking context. (OECD, 2014, p.345)
Thus far, the thesis has argued that English is one of the strongest impacts of globalization. It is ubiquitous (Albatch, 2004), which makes it become the beginning of a chain reaction in developing HE. While English becomes more and more important, more scholar want to learn. It is a required skill for HE and is necessary for studying, finding and extending the range of knowledge. Scholars who have not enough English skill seem to have low chance to attend to some of international universities, which may result in inadequate learning for them. The number of international students has tended to raise each year (OECD, 2014). Certainly, there is no better place to learn English more than English-speaking countries. International students have to live in the different environment, and English is the only language they can use to communicate with the others. Apart from the knowledge, they will also have an opportunity to acquire English skill, social skill and living experience that they cannot find in the classroom.
The Development of Information Technology (IT)
Globalisation also gave more opportunities by making the improvement in the information technology (IT). With the significantly greater use of technology, the Internet serves as a key for globalised knowledge and communication (Wildavsky, 2010; Altbach, 2004). Altbach (2004) holds the view that IT is changing academic institutions in the way of teaching and learning;
Academic institutions are beginning to use IT to deliver degree programmes and other curricula to students outside the campus. IT is beginning to shape teaching and learning and is affecting the management of academic institutions. (p.19)
The information, once was written or printed on the paper before selling or giving to students, can be found on the internet without any cost or border, except on some website. The database on the internet is worldwide, easy to access and more various, compare to the paper which was limited by instructors. This development also made an improvement in the distance education, which can be considered to be a new way to learn and give more opportunity for international students to learning from overseas universities or self-study via computers.
The Multinationalisation
Globalisation is the aggregation of the world that form the multinationalisation, which is the corporation between countries in various ways, such as economic and academic systems. For the role in HE, the multinationalisation can be defined as academic programmes that offered from one nation to others, which conducts to the growth of various higher education initiatives (Altbach, 2004) and impels some governments and universities to develop their outright academic protectionism (Wildavsky, 2010);
The emergence of a global education marketplace exhibits itself in the form of a variety of multinational higher education initiatives – ranging from "twinning" programmes linking academic institutions or programmes in one country with counterparts in another to universities in one country setting up branch campuses in another. (Altbach, 2004, p.16)
Some governments and universities around the world have responded to the growth of cross-border higher education with outright academic protectionism. (Wildavsky, 2010, n.p.)
The increase in the number of international students every year urges English-speaking countries to develop their academic systems, in order to support those learners and to become role models for other countries (Altbach, 2004). The twinning programmes provide more choices for scholars who cannot study overseas or prefer to stay in their home countries to acquire cutting-edge knowledge. This development will definitely increase the opportunities for examinees from non-English-speaking countries to become international students and gain more academic knowledge either in international universities or local universities.
The Increase in Inequality
So far this paper has focused on the opportunities, the following section will state about the inequality from the impact of globalisation on HE. The role of English, the improving in IT and the multinationalisation did not create only more opportunities but also extend the gap in the inequality in HE. This inequality was created by an unequal in the technology, academic system, wealth and human resources between developed and developing countries (Altbach, 2004; OECD, 2014; Yang, 2003);
The world of globalised higher education is highly unequal. Concentrating on developing countries and on smaller academic systems immediately raises the spectre of inequality. (Altbach, 2004, p.6-7)
Changes in the income distribution towards greater inequality are increasingly determined by the distribution of education and skills in societies. (OECD, 2014, p.14)
The opportunities and rewards of globalisation spread unequally and inequitably – concentrating power and wealth in a select group of people, nations and corporations, while marginalising the others (Yang, 2003, p.272-274)
In particular, developed countries have more influence and knowledge to develop their countries rapidly, while developing countries cannot pursue. English seems to be the main problem, most of industrialised nations, especially the United States and the United Kingdom, use English as a native language which gives them a huge advantage to comprehend journals. Following by the limited in the information and internet access, students who study in developed countries can find and access to IT more than the developing countries. Moreover, 80% of the international student came from developing nations and did not go home after graduated (Altbach, 2004), this contributed to lack of talented scholars in their nations. Overall, it can be seen that the inequality is an affectation from the opportunities.
Conclusion
As previously stated, the opportunities far outweigh the inequalities. The chain reaction was started with the role of English which affected on the developments in IT and learning in international universities. In the previous section, the opportunities are cited to be the beginning of the inequality. However, if scholars go back to their home countries after graduation, they can use the knowledge acquired from a better institution to improve and develop their lives and their countries which can decrease those inequalities instead. Governments in developing countries should pay more attention to this trend and find some solutions to attract international students back, such as offering a high salary or better work conditions, more than focusing on providing a huge amount of money to foreigners.