Abstract
This chapter approaches the topic of convergence in European higher education with a focus on the international dimension of universities, as it was claimed and debated in the last years. The main goal is to analyze from three main directions the following aspects of internationalization: measures, indicators, barriers, and bodies responsible for international dimensions. These are highlighted by the results of a qualitative research performed among educational experts from Romanian Higher Education Institutions. The main facets of convergence of internationalization paths in Romanian universities are addressed, the indicators proposed are analyzed, and proposals for their improvement result from respondents' answers.
TopInternationalization Of Higher Education
Internationalization of higher education became a topic of interest among European universities in the early '90s (Teichler, 2004) and still has not lost its timeliness. Evidence for this is the still fervent debate on the Bologna Process, which entered a new phase of development since the official launch of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) in March 2010.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Measures: Lines of action developed by responsible bodies in order to foster internationalization.
Barriers: Hindrances encountered at institutional and national level which might decelerate the process of internationalization.
Internationalization: Openness to foreign students and staff “at home” and presence on international academic scene.
Responsible Bodies: Internal and external actors who might exert an influence within the process of internationalization.
Bologna Process: Agreement between several countries to ensure similar standards and quality across their education systems.
Indicators: Indexes developed for international dimension aimed at assessing the progress made towards the goal of convergence in higher education.
European Higher Education Area (EHEA): Countries which have comparable, compatible and coherent systems of higher education.
Convergence: Similar level of various indicators from different fields of Higher Education.