Abstract:

Internationalization of higher education has been an institutional response to globalization forces all over the world. Despite the fact that the vast majority of European universities have embarked in internationalization, it is not entirely clear which areas of education should be targeted and to what extent, for which context and to what purpose internationalization should drive research, learning and teaching. The emerging models of internationalization are therefore as varied and diverse as are the contexts in which the universities operate. The present study analyzes the internationalization model of a Romanian technical university as it is projected by the institution through strategy, actions and intended outcomes and as it is perceived by some of the most important stakeholders, the English Medium Instruction lecturers. The strategic plan, curricula and other relevant documents are reviewed to outline the internationalization model articulated by the institution as official communication to stakeholders and other interested parties. To zoom in at grassroot level, the EMI lecturers’ perception of internationalization and the role of EMI is revealed through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The findings show that the institutional model of internationalization as revealed by documents and strategy is complex and multifaceted, imagining a development strategy with a stronger orientation towards attracting international students and improved visibility of the institution on the global scene, while the lecturers’ perception is more focused on ‘at home’, on the need to build an international campus for the local stakeholders. The purpose of the study is to draw attention to both the areas of intersection between what is imagined and what is perceived from an internationalization plan (at institutional level and at the level of specific stakeholders such as EMI lecturers) and to the areas of divergence so that institutions can better adjust and steer flexibly their strategies to ensure nobody is left behind because, ultimately, internationalization is a component of quality education and not an enterprise per se.

Keywords:

Internationalisation, internationalisation at home, higher education, English Medium Instruction, globalisation.