A Comparative Study of Internationalization Policies in Chinese and Canadian Higher Education

Abstract

Although internationalization plays an increasingly important role in higher education, it has been perceived as both innovative and turbulent in the past several decades (Knight, 2008). This study explores and compares the contexts and challenges of internationalization of Chinese and Canadian higher education. By applying the “Global Higher Education Matrix” created by Jones (2008) and the “Four Approaches to Internationalization of Higher Education” (Knight, 1997; Zha, 2003) as an analytical framework, this study analyzes the different priorities of the internationalization policies implemented by global organizations, national/ federal governments, provincial governments, and institutions in Canada and China. Using a comparative policy approach, this study informs the policy and practice in the internationalization of higher education in both China and Canada. Due to the different internationalization contexts, the internationalization policies of Chinese and Canadian higher education promote different priorities on five aspects: academic mobility, cooperation and partnership, internationalizing curriculum, quality assurance, and administration and governance.