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The Review of Higher Education 27.2 (2004) 281-282



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Hans de Wit. Internationalization of Higher Education in the United States of America and Europe: A Historical, Comparative, and Conceptual Analysis. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002. 288 pp. Cloth: $74.95. ISBN: 0-313-32075-6.

The Internationalization of Higher Education in the United States of America and Europe centers on three questions: (1) "What has been the historical development of the internationalization of higher education, in particular the US and Europe, and how are the differences in development between these two regions to be explained?" (2) "What are the rationales behind the internationalization of higher education, its meaning and approaches, and the different strategies and organizational models?" and (3) "How can we interpret some of its key manifestations at the turn of the century?" (pp. xv-xvi)

Hans de Wit begins his detailed historical and conceptual analyses with the period between World War II and the end of the Cold War, when he believes the international aspects of higher [End Page 281] education were becoming organized. In the United States, he contends, the international aspects of higher education were a corrective measure for student parochialism and an element of foreign policy and national security. The internationalization of higher education was initially achieved through study abroad programs and area studies, funded largely by government-sponsored technical assistance/cooperation programs and private foundations. De Wit argues that this trend persists; and although contemporary higher education in the United States is very active in international education, its core functions have not been internationalized.

During this same historical period, de Wit believes that European higher education institutions were initially passive partners in political agreements between nations, "receivers of foreign students" (p. 218). However, in contrast to the United States, he portrays the internationalization of higher education in Europe as a series of strategic decisions, largely in response to the regionalization and globalization of societies. He cites as supporting evidence shifts toward an international orientation in curricula and mission statements, standardization of degree requirements and credit hours, and alterations in other organizational structures and processes. He believes that the core functions of higher education systems and individual institutions continue to be affected by the globalization of societies and economies. De Wit argues that concerns about the quality of internationalization initiatives and English as the predominant language of communication as well as the growing academic legitimacy of research on international higher education and the increased numbers of regional and national networks of higher education institutions are all strategic responses to these ongoing change processes.

The book is organized into three parts, each designed to address one of de Wit's questions. In Part 1, he foreshadows his historical analysis, then highlights key events in the internationalization of higher education in the United States and Europe. He concludes by comparing growth along the international dimension within the two societal contexts.

De Wit identifies four key differences between the internationalization of higher education in the United States and in Europe: (a) International activities in the United States have been grounded primarily in foreign policy and national security. In Europe, internationalization has been motivated largely by the political and economic integration of nations within the European Community (EC); (b) Variations in the objectives of curricular changes have led to an emphasis on global and intercultural awareness in the United States and the diversification and extension of academic specialization in Europe; (c) Efforts to globalize curricula and incorporate study-abroad programs for undergraduates characterize the United States while a focus on institutional networking and exchanges at the graduate level predominate in Europe; and (d) Internationalization of higher education in the United States is not strategic and can be characterized as fragmented activities, projects, and programs while an overall strategy in Europe integrates the various activities, programs, and organizations.

De Wit also offers four explanations for these differences: (a) A tendency in the United States to focus on internationalizing the general education aspects of undergraduate curricula and...

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