A view towards internationalisation at the University of Iceland: Lessons learned from the International studies in Education Programme

Abstract

The International Studies in Education Programme (ISEP) at the University of Iceland is in its tenth year. Since its inception in 2008 it has aimed to provide educational opportunities for a diverse student population in the Icelandic higher educational context. As a social justice response to the varied and growing (im) migrant population, the programme offers an interdisciplinary and international view of education for students interested in working in diverse educational settings. We conduct a concept analysis of strategic policies of the University of Iceland (UI) and its aims at internationalisation in relation to changing demographics within the student population. We suggest that internationalisation at the UI in its current form does not attend sufficiently to these changes. We suggest that internationalisation at the UI in its current form pays insufficient attention to changing demographics in Iceland given the underrepresentation of (im)migrant students. We propose a broader definition of internationalisation to reflect and respond to all international students in order to better serve the (im)migrant student population. We further argue for increased recognition of the programme’s contribution to the university’s internationalisation policy in the context of global demands for increased diversity in higher education. Our intention is to contribute to the dialogue on what constitutes quality international higher education at local, national and global levels.