Although it is hard to dispute that internationalisation is a topic of central importance in European higher education today, there are relatively few organisations focused exclusively on this subject. As of 1 January 2012, however, this small community of organisations has grown by one, with the launch of the Centre for Higher Education Internationalisation (CHEI) at the Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore (UCSC) in Milan.

CHEI’s purpose is to promote and conduct research, training and policy analysis in order to strengthen the international dimensions of higher education. The Centre will be directed by Professor Hans de Wit, who will combine this position with his current role as professor of internationalisation of higher education at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA) in the Netherlands.

The opening seminar of CHEI will take place on 20 April 2012 in Milan. As it begins to ramp up its activities, CHEI has applied for an FP7 Marie Curie Actions Grant for an Innovative Doctoral Programme, and ACA is among eleven organisations across Europe – as well as in the United States, Japan and South Africa – that have written a letter of commitment as associate partners to this proposed project. Further information on CHEI, including the programme for its opening seminar and links to its new website, will soon be available.