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Introduction: Internationalization in Higher Education

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Internationalization within Higher Education

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Education ((BRIEFSEDUCAT))

Abstract

Japanese higher education is developing as a part of the knowledge society. An integral part of the knowledge society is internationalization, and accordingly many higher education institutions (HEIs) are incorporating internationalization projects. However, HEIs merely developing internationalization projects, as a response to governmental educational policies, do not equate to an institution being internationalized. Rather, it is a process which requires assessment of different practices in relation to the internationalization project as a whole within an institution, both from the top-down and from the bottom-up, to ensure that change is beneficial to the learning situation. Taking a bottom-up approach, this book addresses how four different HEIs are developing their internationalization projects. This book presents four case studies which address some general effects of internationalization within higher education in Japan, and then will turn to a focus on English and language study. To set the context, this chapter first reviews the literature on internationalization with regards to change within higher education, competition, and rankings. Then, the research setting is contextualized through a review of the internationalization of higher education in Japan. Specifically, we focus on the influences of competition within the internationalization of Japanese higher education and the management system. The chapter ends with an overview of the four case studies presented in this book. From the perspective of non-Japanese teachers, the case studies address the different roles that the internationalization of higher education takes and illuminate the complexities of implementing internationalization projects within higher education.

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  1. Naruto University of Education, Naruto, Japan

    Elizabeth Stigger

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  1. Elizabeth Stigger
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Correspondence to Elizabeth Stigger .

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Stigger, E. (2018). Introduction: Internationalization in Higher Education. In: Internationalization within Higher Education. SpringerBriefs in Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8255-9_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8255-9_1

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