The pandemic, a ‘sparking revolution’ for internationalization process and mobility in higher education
– Durgaprasad Bhandari Higher education with investment in global research and student collaboration, critical for countries economic and social growth is badly affected in this pandemic. The Universities are closely monitoring the impacts of COVID-19 on higher education around the world. It is hard to know when life will return to normal once this phase is over. It triggers the discussion on the implication of COVID-19 to the higher education sector in the internationalization agenda in particular. This opens the debate that exists between the two lines: The impact of COVID-19 will only be temporary? Or COVID -19 pandemic crisis will change higher education and internationalization forever? These differed opinions in one way express a sense of anxiety, fear, uncertainty, and loss while in another way express hope, excitement, and possibilities. These two different perspective and illusion on the same phenomenon possibly depends on how we define internationalization and mobility. There are many aspects of the internationalization of higher education. Its purpose can be academic, sociocultural, diplomatic, and fiscal. But until now the internationalization of higher education has been regarded mostly as global mobility rather than a means of connectivity through online research, teaching, and learning. Prevailed policies, existing curriculum, and practices in higher education failed to integrate students’ diverse international and intercultural experiences at home. For the conceivable future, if internationalization is to remain a crucial feature of...
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