Abstract:

Education has always been one of the basic instruments of international relations. The development of integration processes in the field of higher education as well as student mobility contribute to greater integration of both the state and a separate region into international economic processes. Cooperation in the cross-border region is effective due to minor cultural differences, developed economic and social ties, and the proximity of universities. For cross-border regions, higher education is becoming a strategic investment and a means of economic and social development, which creates conditions for the development of a more competitive economic bloc. The creation of educational clusters will contribute to the integration of values, ethics and mutual respect of cultures, on the one hand, and the independence and attractiveness of universities, on the other hand, turning them into influential actors of international relations. The internationalization of education makes it possible to eliminate equivalence between “peripheral” and “second-rate” universities. In the new reality of both cross-border and transregional cooperation, the strategic development of universities will be aimed at understanding the economic and socio-cultural development of the region.

Establishment of strategic partnerships within the framework of regional integration is a part of a broader university internationalization strategy which leads to development of networking among universities, creation of university associations and alliances, and foundation of transregional universities.

Networking enables universities to adapt their curricula to changing labor market conditions and respond more quickly to any market changes. A significant reduction and a more reasonable structure of their costs will allow network members to focus on their core competencies and eliminate duplication of a number of functions.

Academic mobility, being an important component of cross-border education, follows certain laws of migration. To make cross-border educational ties operate sustainably, it takes time to overcome communication barriers (linguistic, socio-cultural, institutional, IT and financial) and create personal networks and channels that ensure safety and psychological comfort for international students while adapting to another culture.

However, the current weakening of megatrends in world politics (globalization, integration and democratization) has caused reverse processes. Regionalization is opposed to globalization. The integration of national educational systems into unified educational spaces is slowing down due to concerns about the preservation of cultural security and the promotion of national interests. The democratization of education is being disrupted by the use of restricting access to foreign education as a sanction tool.

Still any efforts aimed at reflecting common values ​​and promoting the interests of any peoples inhabiting the transboundary region contribute to cultural diversity and language, ethnic and gender equality. The development of distance education contributes to ensuring equal access to education for representatives of various social strata, which is an important factor in assessing the effectiveness of educational policy.

Keywords:

Higher education, internationalization, university cooperation, university networking, trans-regional university, cross-border region.