International | Patrick Blessinger

Inclusive higher education for the benefit of all

Inclusive higher education for the benefit of all Patrick Blessinger, Jaimie Hoffman and Mandla Makhanya St John’s University (NYC), University of Wisconsin at La Crosse, University of South Africa Broadly defined, institutions of higher education are social structures that fulfil a common social purpose of creating an educated citizenry. They achieve this through policies, rules, customs, symbols and traditions. As such, institutions exemplify structures for social order, creating the norms and expectations for human behaviour. As such, educational institutions have an implicit social responsibility to ensure that these practices work for the benefit of all students. Throughout the nearly one thousand-year history of higher education, higher education institutions, or HEIs, have demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of continual political, social, economic and technological change. HEIs have remained remarkably stable in their missions, structures and practices over the past millennium, even in the face of revolutions, innovations and other forms of [...]

Patrick Blessinger2017-12-09T12:47:35+00:00December 9, 2017|Tags: Inclusion, International, Jaimie Hoffman, Mandla Makhanya, Patrick Blessinger, University World News, V4A12|

The case for internationalisation of higher education

The case for internationalisation of higher education Patrick Blessinger and Barbara Cozza St. John's University (NYC), USA Not only has globalisation had a tremendous impact on the development of the world, but its impact on the internationalisation of higher education over the past few decades has been equally remarkable. Many different theories, perspectives and conceptions of globalisation exist to help explain its impact on political, economic and socio-cultural development at different levels. Although the history of globalisation is one of continual ebb and flow, the trajectory has been, nonetheless, a steady move towards greater interconnectedness and interdependence. It is difficult to predict what long-term effects the Great Recession (2008-10) and the current upswing of isolationist sentiments will have on international higher education in the coming years. Regardless, it is more important now than ever that students learn how to develop as global citizens. Given the uncertainty around globalisation’s impact on higher education, educational institutions are looking [...]

Patrick Blessinger2017-10-21T13:11:23+00:00October 21, 2017|Tags: Barbara Cozza, Globalization, International, Patrick Blessinger, University World News, V4A10|

How to make the most of international HE partnerships

How to make the most of international HE partnerships Patrick Blessinger and Barbara Cozza St. John's University (NYC) and International HETL Association University partnerships have become powerful vehicles for promoting civic and democratic engagement, cultivating international economic development and fostering teacher and school system improvement, among other aims. A university partnership is a relationship between a university and other groups where partners agree to collaborate in order to advance common interests. In the current era of globalisation and internationalisation, partnerships are becoming more widespread and increasingly global in scale and strategic in focus. Partnerships allow partners to minimise the potential risks associated with internationalisation and better use limited resources. As such, strategic partnerships are often part of an institution’s broader internationalisation strategy. Motivations and benefits University partnerships provide multiple benefits for partners. In the book series, University Partnerships, Barbara Cozza and I, along with several educational scholars, explore the different factors impacting international [...]

Patrick Blessinger2017-03-11T19:24:29+00:00October 1, 2016|Tags: Barbara Cozza, International, Leadership, Partnerships, Patrick Blessinger, V3A6|

Building a Global Knowledge Society through Universal Lifelong Education

Building a Global Knowledge Society through Universal Lifelong Education Patrick Blessinger International HETL Association and St. John’s University An explosion of new information is created every minute and, aided by the continuous development of globally connected information and communication technologies, this creation of new information continues to grow exponentially. In an age of increasing ubiquity of information and knowledge, and through the ongoing development of MOOCs and OERs for instance, it has become increasingly easier for people anywhere in the world to acquire high quality knowledge on demand and for free. These and other phenomena continue to drive the development of the emerging global knowledge society. Data vs Information vs Knowledge Although the terms data, information, and knowledge are often used interchangeably, they have distinct meanings. In information theory, the primary characteristic that distinguishes these concepts from each other is the degree and quality of meaning and processing applied to [...]

Patrick Blessinger2018-10-27T17:22:49+00:00August 30, 2015|Tags: GAPS, International, Lifelong Learning, Patrick Blessinger, V2A8|

Why are Fewer Foreign Students Heading to the U.S. and More to Australia?

Why are Fewer Foreign Students Heading to the U.S. and More to Australia? Patrick Blessinger International HETL Association and St. John’s University The U.S. has arguably led the world in higher education for much of the twenty-first century. But while there is much to be proud of, there are also some trends that should give U.S. educational leaders and policy makers cause for concern. The share of international students who choose a U.S. university has dropped from 23 percent in 2000 to 16 percent in 2011. Meanwhile, other countries including Australia and the U.K. have experienced significant share increases. And although the U.S. ranks high in post-secondary degree attainment, its student loan debt now exceeds $1 trillion with average student loan debt near $30,000. Private expenditure per student is eight times higher in the U.S. than in Europe and this has real potential economic impact. The rich legacy of democratic education in the U.S. [...]

Patrick Blessinger2015-08-13T16:34:24+00:00August 13, 2015|Tags: Hechinger Report, International, Lifelong Learning, Patrick Blessinger, V2A7|

The world needs more international higher education

The world needs more international higher education Patrick Blessinger St. John's University (NYC) and International HETL Association Internationalisation is the adaptive strategic response of an institution or nation to the forces of globalisation, which itself is a process of increasing interdependence and interconnectedness between countries. No country or sector or institution is immune from the process of globalisation, including higher education. More internationalisation naturally leads to more globalisation, thus creating a virtuous cycle, which helps explain the increasing pace of change of the two phenomena. Internationalisation involves both push and pull factors and, as such, it is both a planned response and a reactive process by institutions (ie, both a cause and effect). Internationalisation can also be viewed as the integration of globalisation into the tripartite mission – teaching, research, service – of the university. This response is operationalised through an institution’s formal internationalisation strategy – an institutional plan with specific [...]

Patrick Blessinger2017-09-30T18:21:19+00:00April 24, 2015|Tags: Democracy, International, Patrick Blessinger, University World News, V2A3|

Is Malaysia The Regional Leader In International Higher Education?

Is Malaysia the Regional Leader in International Higher Education? Patrick Blessinger and Enakshi Sengupta International HETL Association and University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus While restructuring its educational policies in the 1990s, the Malaysian government realised it would not be able to provide higher education to a significant proportion of its population through its own public institutions. In 1995, the Malaysian government was faced with a situation where 20% of Malaysian students studied abroad. This cost the country an estimated $800 million USD, nearly 12% of Malaysia’s current account deficit. Malaysia became one of the top countries sending its own students to study abroad. Faced with such a predicament the Malaysian government embarked on a program to turn Malaysia into a fully developed knowledge based economy. To that end, the Malaysian government sought to partner with foreign higher educational institutions to offer more educational opportunities for Malaysians on their own soil. The ultimate aim was [...]

Patrick Blessinger2015-08-13T15:50:08+00:00May 23, 2014|Tags: Enakshi Sengupta, Guardian Higher Education Network, International, Patrick Blessinger, V1A3|