Shaping Scottishness in HE internationalisation policy and practice

Aim
This paper considers the role of Scottish popular culture in developing a concept of internationalisation in higher education (HE), which is an underexplored area in the literature. To fill this gap, and to guide our own theorising, we employ Ulrich Beck’s work. His concept of ‘Cosmopolitanism’ offers a view that emphasises cultural relevance, providing a lens for investigating HE educators’ perspectives and the notion of a Scottish ‘brand’ of HE internationalisation.

Methods
Adopting a qualitative, interpretivist stance, we draw upon preliminary data from ongoing doctoral research. Two main research questions addressed are: what does internationalisation in HE look and feel like in Scotland? How do HE educators perceive they are represented and/or involved in internationalisation policies? Questionnaires and interviews were employed to gather data from 9 HE educators at three Scottish universities.

Initial Findings
A major finding was that HE educators have a range of opinions on the presence and importance of the national cultural relevance. This finding is important and suggests that HE educators have crucial ‘insider’ knowledge that has potential value for appropriate policy development.

Conclusions
HE educators display a range of opinions about national cultural relevance. These insights are valuable for understanding the everyday enactment of internationalisation, but we argue this knowledge is not used to full advantage. Closer attention to HE educators’ views could help to re-examine existing literature suggesting internationalisation in HE develops along culturally appropriate lines while guiding the future development of a culturally sensitive framework for internationalisation strategies.