Internationalisation of higher education in a Canadian context: responses to the Bologna Process from Canadian universities

Abstract

ABSTRACTUniversities in Canada have been highly engaged with internationalisation – concurrent with the Bologna Process in Europe – yet appear only marginally influenced by the ‘external’ Europeanisation of higher education. This paper examines the intersection of these processes: Has the Europeanisation of higher education influenced the internationalisation of Canadian higher education? Evidence indicates that the influence of the Bologna Process in Canada has been slight. Aside of a brief period of reflection just prior to the ‘completion’ of the European Higher Education Area in 2010, few policy actors in Canadian higher education have seriously considered the impacts of Bologna. In Canada, internationalisation has focused on Asia and inbound student mobility, with perspectives on Europe comparatively limited to research collaboration, faculty mobility, and small-scale (outbound) student exchange programmes. Based on document analysis and survey data, this paper argues that the dearth of Europeanisation in Canadian higher education has more to do with domestic dynamics than a weak externalisation of the Bologna Process. The political structure and organisational culture of Canadian higher education is much different than that of Europe, such that the internationalisation strategies employed in Canadian higher education tend to neglect Europe and the Europeanisation of higher education.