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Mexico–EU2nd Policy Dialogue and Seminar on Higher Education

Mexico City, 24-25 September 2015

Internationalisation of universities –Do we need strategies?

Prof. Manfred HorvatVienna University of Technology, Austria

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Content

• The global setting of higher education• Why does internationalisation matter?• Aspects of internationalisation• Towards strategic approaches• Top-down versus/and bottom-up• Summary

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The global setting of higher education

• Globalisation & globality – cooperation & competition• The new multi-polar situation of HE• World-wide connectivity and mobility• Accessibility of distributed competences• Grand global societal challenges• Development of global innovation chains• New forms of delivery – MOOCs• Availability of funds for international cooperation

Why does internationalisation matter?From a research point of view

• Becoming internationally visible and competitive• Strengthening STI excellence by cross-fertilisation• Getting access to state-of-the-art and/or complementary

knowledge and methods• Building collaborative links for achieving quality, scale

and scope – critical mass• Increased citation impacts• Information, insights, understanding about other

research and innovation systems• Accessing special facilities or research infrastructures• Getting access to special environments and materials• Need for experts with intercultural experience – talent!• Develop long-term collaborative links for mutual benefit

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Aspects of internationalisationInstruments and programmes

• International student population and academic staff• University partnerships and networks• Student and researcher mobility and exchange• Joint and double degree programmes – BA, MS, PhD• Individual cooperation of researchers• Promoting international teams – doctoral schools!• Strategic collaborative RTD programmes• Institutions: Joint laboratories, Offshore campuses

• Funding programmes, e.g.– ERASMUS, Horizon 2020 (Marie Sklodowska Curie, ERC),

CONACYT, Foncicyt, CYTED - IBEROEKA, OSEO

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Towards strategic approaches 1The need for institutional strategies

• Universities are developing from loosely coupled systems of professors towards institutions with professional management

• International visibility calls for institutional strategy• Developing strategic priorities, target countries and

instruments – based on evidence• Finding a balance between bottom-up and top-down• Support structures: Offering professional services for

international education and research – opportunities for students and researchers – a key asset for the university

• In addition: national - and European - strategies

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Towards strategic approaches 2The need for national (and EU) strategies

• Setting objectives: themes & geographical priorities based on evidence

• Providing the legal and regulatory framework• Investment in HE and STI: status and targets• Safeguarding the human resource base• Considering the national and supra-national system• Getting organised: data base, support structures and

services – information and assistance

• Involve main stakeholders in a well designed process• Create public awareness on importance

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Top-down versus/and bottom-upPolicies

• Policy makers now need to harness the self-organising,

researcher-led and bottom-up global science system

and deploy it optimally to address critical challenges

facing the planet. This will involve both– ‘top-down’ approaches that invoke the combined power and

resources of national governments as and when necessary, – orchestrating effective co-ordinated work by large

interdisciplinary teams, and– also recognising the pivotal role of individual researchers and

small teams

Knowledge, networks and nations. Global science collaboration in the 21st century.The Royal Society. London 2013, p102

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Internationalisation of HESummary

• Internationalisation is a must for higher education• A systematic and participatory approach is required• You have to get organised at institutional, national and

supra-national level– Create the evidence base– Set objectives and targets– Define priority areas, countries, regions– Ensure appropriate funding– Establish professional structures for information and assistance– Learn from others but adapt to your situation

• Monitoring & evaluation for continuous improvement!

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Thank you for your attention!

Prof. Manfred Horvat

Vienna University of Technology, Austria

Chairman, Horizon 2020 Advisory Group „International Cooperation“

Member, Horizon 2020 Advisory Group „Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions“

Senior Advisor, CESAER

Coordinator of Conference of Rectors and Presidents of European Universities of Technology

manfred.horvat@gmx.net

Mexico in FP7Priority areas of collaboration

Area Participations

Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and new Production Technologies - NMP

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Environment (including Climate Change) 18

Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology 11

Socio-economic sciences and Humanities 9

Health 7

Activities of International Cooperation 10

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Mexico in FP7Main collaborative links

Countries Links

Spain 155

Italy 130

Germany 106

France 100

United Kingdom 81

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Mexico in FP7Top Universities

UniversityNumber of FP7 participations

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTONOMA DE MEXICO (UNAM) 16

INSTITUTO TECNOLOGICO Y DE ESTUDIOS SUPERIORES DE MONTERREY (ITESM) 13

UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA METROPOLITANA (UAM) 4

UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE NUEVO LEON (UANL) 3

UNIVERSIDAD VERACRUZANA (UV) 2

INSTITUTO DE ECOLOGÍA, A.C. (INECOL) 2

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