Internationalisation at Home From the Inside: Non-Native Faculty and Transformation

Abstract

Demographic changes are inevitable in many regions of the world today. Changes in institutions are optional. Higher education is not an exception. Much literature and information exists on the notion of diversity as it applies to higher education and students. Far less can be found on faculty change, especially in countries without strong traditions of immigration. The changing character of faculty composition—in terms of diversity—may yield insights that have concrete implications for society at large. This article traces a practical intervention effort aimed at discrimination and international students, which ultimately led to a qualitative case study, featuring interviews of foreign-born academics working inside one of Europe’s most highly advanced—yet homogeneous—university systems. This perspective offers insight into the original problems that inspired this study and opened up a wider range of issues with implications for intercultural education policy in many countries.