Welikala, T. Rethinking International Higher Education Curriculum: Mapping the Research Landscape. Universitas 21, Birmingham, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-9570066-0-7. Pages: 40.

Universitas 21, an international network of 23 leading research-intensive universities in 15 countries, presented in late summer its teaching and learning position paper on internationalisation. Commissioned by the U21 Teaching & Learning Network Steering Group, this paper provides an overview of research studies about internationalisation of the curriculum in higher education and aims to guide practitioners across a range of disciplines.

Three major issues are addressed in the position paper: 

• the concept of the internationalisation of the higher education curriculum and its boundaries; 
• the importance of the internationalised curriculum in the 21st century university; and 
• ways of putting the international curriculum into practice.

Viewing internationalisation of the higher education curriculum in a broader socio-economic, geo-political and multi-cultural perspective (indeed, the authors prefer the term “multi-perspective curriculum”), the position paper advocates for a continuous exposure of students and staff to multiple views of the world. It also highlights the importance of principles of critical learning and teaching, diversity and collaboration within the university.

Universitas 21