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Internationalization and the development of higher education
Finally, it should be noted that these policy options and strategies are not mutually exclusive. Multiple policy initiatives could be combined and implemented.
The internationalization of higher education offers excellent prospects for the accelerated development of provincial universities. Internationalization, with cross-border movements of students, staff, and institutions, is one of the most significant recent developments in the global higher education landscape (Altbach 2013, 2015). one of the key features of internationalization is the integration of university teaching and learning across national and regional boundaries. This integration gives universities in the less advanced provinces opportunities to rapidly develop their teaching and learning activities through connections with overseas universities.
The internationalization of higher education also is an opportunity for provinces to attract foreign students and contribute to regional economic growth. Creating an enabling environment for private higher education institutions that cater to both domestic and foreign students could be extremely useful. Highquality private higher education institutions may be able to attract students from other developing countries, including neighbors from South Asia. Such a strategy, if successful, would be an important source of income for the province as well as the country.
Initiatives the national government and provincial councils could implement to promote Sri Lanka as a hub for international students include the following:
• Commissioning market research among potential students on the image of the country compared with that of competitor countries • Identifying the most promising overseas markets • Devising strategies for the recruitment of full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students • Producing promotional and public relations material to stimulate interest overseas • Developing partnerships with overseas recruitment agents • Promoting the country as a major destination for international academic conferences • Conducting research into pricing, competitive behavior, and student satisfaction
The government also needs to work with institutions such as the Board of Investment to implement policies that attract foreign higher education providers, recognizing that such projects can have long lead times to break even (Fielden et al. 2011). An example of how Malaysia is seeking to become a hub for international students is presented in box 5.4.
The private higher education sector can play a central role in promoting Sri Lanka as an international hub for foreign students. The internationalization of higher education provides an excellent opportunity for Sri Lanka to broaden and stimulate higher education development by attracting foreign students. An inflow of foreign students will increase the revenues of domestic higher education institutions. The presence of foreign students on university campuses will
