The most accepted concept was created by Knight (2004), defining it as the “process of integrating an international, intercultural or global dimension into the purpose, functions or offerings of post-secondary education institutions and systems.” Other authors connect this description to the incorporation of sustainability values, as well as social inclusion, aiming to benefit all students. Since 2011, scholars like Hans de Wit have pointed to internationalization as the future of higher education, envisioning institutions organizing and operating by integrating international partnerships and collaboration networks into their teaching, research and extension activities. Only then would the university be able to take on a key role in the global knowledge society and meet the expectations of various social and economic segments.
Mobility is a component of internationalization policies that encompasses a much broader range of actions. Internationalization with mobility and evolved, based on the assessment of results, research and challenges posed by social, economic and political changes. Since 2011, there has been a shift in how internationalization is perceived, no longer seen as an end in itself, as when it was limited to mobility actions. This process is now understood as a means or fundamental tool to promote the quality in education, the production of globally relevant science and of research with economic and social impact. Particularly in Latin America, the need to democratize the access to the benefits of internationalization for all students has increased the focus on curriculum internationalization as a key component of the process.
These terms refer to the same process of bringing an international, intercultural and global dimension to the curriculum, both in its formal and informal aspects. IoC stands for Internationalization of the Curriculum, used in Australia, where the Global IoC originated. IaH, or Internationalization at Home, is a term used in various countries, and it excludes mobility actions, while IoC includes them. What these terms have in common, though, is that they both emphasize the pedagogical aspect of the internationalization process, working to benefit all students. In order to do that, they work intentionally and coordinatively to include the international, intercultural, and/or global dimensions in curriculum content, learning outcomes, evaluation, teaching methods etc.
This difference largely results from the presence or absence of structured policies by the state to support and promote the internationalization process. Given its complexity, requiring unique adaptations for each institution, internationalization pushes the academic community beyond its walls and traditional practices. External incentives such as evaluation policies, funding for research related to the theme, and specific programs for such activities make a difference in the pace and continuity of the internationalization process in a nation’s post-secondary system. In countries like Brazil, where higher education is highly regulated, the government’s role becomes decisive. In such scenarios, incentives for internationalization in quality assessment processes, a basis for regulating this level of education, are crucial for the participation of HEIs in the process. In some countries, like Australia, the incentive goes beyond, in that the country has a strategy of global insertion in “knowledge diplomacy.”
Knowledge diplomacy is a strategy to influence and participate in global decisions and policies through a highly internationalized system of education and research. In this model, universities must be globally competitive to anchor the national effort to integrate into the global economy, politics, and society. Australia has been diligently working with this influence model since the 1950s, a process that developed faster from the 1980s with the full opening of the national economy. The inclusion of “higher education services” in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1995 made it a relevant item in trade discussions between countries. Thus, internationalization of higher education becomes a strategic element for global integration in countries that adopt knowledge diplomacy, reinforcing the priority of investments and actions to encourage this process. Other countries recognized internationally for practicing knowledge diplomacy include Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
“Education 4.0” is linked to the construction of knowledge that goes beyond technical and technological competencies, with a critical, holistic, and humanistic approach in response to the advent of Industry 4.0. This has driven internationalization as a way to respond to the growing demand for excellence in education and research at universities. It has also created significant pressure for higher education to contribute solutions to the potentially negative effects of the new industrial revolution on the job market, natural resource use, diversity respect, inclusion, and social inequality. In a scenario dominated by global knowledge networks and systems, universities are challenged to become internationalized, not as a marginal activity, as was the case with mobility programs, but now to reinvent their formative process and knowledge production to address widespread problems and demands. “Education 4.0,” emerging to meet these multiple challenges, is necessarily international because the new standard of production in Industry 4.0 demands it.
In a world undergoing constant technological transformation and challenged by the urgency of sustainability and social inclusion, the concept of education oriented towards developing essential competencies, skills, and attitudes for the 21st century has solidified. This includes the ability to globally integrate from a local context. Preparing future professionals with this profile makes curriculum internationalization an essential tool to meet the demands of the job market. This involves the proactive participation of the community and the productive sector in defining competencies, skills, and attitudes, as well as partnerships for their implementation. Many countries are moving towards planning and envisioning working life in the 21st century as interconnected cycles between the job market and education, with international and intercultural education being part of this new career design.