Challenges for Higher Education in Multicultural and Globalised Societies

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Challenges for Higher Education in Multicultural
and Globalised Societies

• Jussi Välimaa, Dr., Professor of higher
  education studies
• Finnish Institute for Educational Research
• University of Jyväskylä, Finland

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The Aims of the Keynote

• to discuss on the different roles higher
  education institutions play in contemporary
  societies
• Analyze the nature of contemporary societies as
  networked knowledge societies
• Analyze the topics of internationalization,
  multiculturalism intercultural issues
• Reflect on the challenges for higher education
  institutions

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Defining Globalization internationalization

• Globalization processes which affect the whole
  world / are recognized throughout the globe. The
  basic hypothesis nation states loose their
  decision-making capacity at the cost of global
  organizations processes
• Internationalization is based on contracts
  between nation states, or their institutions. The
  processes of internationalization (e.g.
  international exchange programs) show that nation
  states continue be important political players.
• Often overlap each other

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On the Nature of Contemporary Societies

• Knowledge Societies
• Increasing importance of knowledge everywhere in
  societies (Stehr 1994)
• Mobile Network societies
• Crucial categories of time and space are
  transforming because of ICT (Castells 2006)
• Network Societies
• Describes the dominating social structures of
  contemporary societies networks (Castells 2009,
  Latour 2007)

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Main Problems with These Soci(logic)al Theories

• Knowledge Society does not take seriously the
  means of communication (ICT) and emerging new
  social structures (networks)
• Mobile Network Societies emphasizes ICT too much
  as a source of change
• Network theories (ANT) and Network Society do
  not pay enough attention to the contents of
  communication (knowledge)

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Defining Networked Knowledge Societies (NKS)

• Contemporary societies can not be defined either
  knowledge societies or network societies both
  describe important social phenomena of
  contemporary global realities
• The crucial elements are
• 1) CONTENT. The need use of knowledge
• 2) MEDIA. Information technology
• 3) SOCIAL STRUCTURE. Networking as the social
  form of communication knowledge production

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The Need and Use of Knowledge ( HE)

• The quantity and quality of the needs for most
  up-dated knowledge is a new phenomenon -gt
  research and HEIs are crucially important.
• the content of information and communication is
  crucially important matter in itself
• Knowledge needs to be taken seriously as the core
  element in contemporary societies.

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Information Technology ( HE)

• ICT has re-defined the categories of time space
  ? identity, social forms, society, but
  institutions social structures frame social
  choice communication choice.
• wireless communication internet enhance
  considerably the intensity and density of
  interaction.
• HEIs may act as important nodes of knowledge
  networks because of their intellectual and
  material resources (academic traditions,
  administrative structure physical space).

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Social Form Networks

• new forms of knowledge production knowledge is
  produced in networks of partnerships
  cooperation with academics and universities (e.g.
  open access) and with other stakeholders outside
  HEIs
• Networking and networks are the most efficient
  way to organize these multiple and flexible
  academic, business and social partnership
  relations.
• Networking is the social form of communication
  knowledge production.

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New competencies needed in the Knowledge Societies

• Old academic qualifications are not enough
• New competencies are needed
• 1) intercultural communication skills
• 2) team-working skills
• 3) Leadership qualities
• 4) Basic disciplinary knowledge

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Three Internationalizations

• Context While higher education is global as a
  sector, it remains a nationally-based institution
• 1) Traditional internationalization, emphasis on
  international nature of higher education short
  term temporary, academic mobility student
  exchange, faculty visits and conferences,
  international publications international
  cooperation in projects or scientific research

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Three Internationalizations (2)

• 2) Emerging internationalization, newer
  developments often directly connected to
  globalization (increasing competitive potential
  in cross-border higher education consortia)
  attempts to recruit tuition and fee-paying
  students from around the world
• 3) Ideological internationalization, includes
  arguments about what internationalization efforts
  should be -gt internationalization policies at the
  local and national level should mitigate many of
  the negative effects associated with globalization

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Essential is that

• there is not one definition of internationalizatio
  n that will serve all purposes, at every level of
  higher education, everywhere.
• Universities need to define what kind of
  internationalization they want to have

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On Multiculturalism

• The same can be applied with multicultural or
  intercultural issues there is not only one
  definition that serves all purposes
• multicultural is often used in relation to 1)
  recognition of civil rights, 2) integration
  adaptation of migrants, 3) multicultural /
  intercultural communication
• In intercultural cooperation CULTURAL SENSIBILITY
  is essential

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Trends in the Changes of Knowledge
Changes of Knowledge Traditional Society Networked Knowledge Society
Locus of knowledge Local national institutions Global networks
Nature of knowledge Controlled /closed open
Mode of knowledge production universities Cooperative networks of universities others
Production of knowledge Individual academics Collective networks, peer production
Storage of knowledge Libraries archieves Internet
Access to knowledge Limited, controlled Free
Mode of knowledge transmission Teacher-centered, lecture rooms Student-centered, www-based learning
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Challenges for Universities

• have both local, national and global social
  responsibilities
• have tense networks (local, national, global)
• 3) be active contributors and defenders of free
  and open access to knowledge
• 4) create conditions and maintain infrastructure
  for global communication
• 5) educate citizens (rather than labour force)

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Challenges for Universities (2)

• 6) Educate students with competencies needed in
  Knowledge Societies
• 7) Change pedagogical thinking (towards
  constructive cooperative learning)
• 8) Recruit multicultural academic staff
• gt University should decide what kind of future
  it wants to create for itself

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Thank You