Never the Twain Shall Meet? Internationalisation of higher education in New Zealand and Indonesia: A holistic theory

Abstract

This research in the field of international education reconsiders the role of the internationalisation of higher education (IoHE) concerning the global export education industry and the emerging global knowledge economy. The purpose of this research is to design, and to test, an explanatory theory for IoHE that is applicable in a major English-speaking destination country, and an Asian context. A pragmatic, mixed methods approach was used to investigate two instrumental case studies, New Zealand and Indonesia, selected as under-researched local contexts for IoHE, which are, nonetheless, an integral part of the global export education industry. Case Study One investigated the pivotal features of the IoHE practices utilised in the export education industry in New Zealand. The grounded theory method utilised in Case Study One facilitated the development of the explanatory theory for IoHE, while content analysis was employed for the theory testing within Case Study Two of Indonesia. A Bourdieusian Theory of Practice and the knowledge economy paradigm were utilised to investigate these features further and explain the role of IoHE in the emerging global knowledge economy. The findings have revealed that IoHE practices in both contexts display homogenous features influenced by the global neoliberal agenda and nationalistic agendas, which are reflected in the concepts of rationality, and relationality. These concepts also correspond with the competition and collaboration trends that are pivotal for the global export education industry. Rationality was expressed in the categories of socio-economic development and engagement with the international education industry, including export education brand promotion. Relationality was evident in categories of the industry/tertiary sector stakeholders’ collaboration and social licence. The Bourdieusian Theory of Practice and the knowledge economy paradigm was utilised to investigate these features further and explain the role of IoHE in the emerging global knowledge economy. As a result, IoHE is theorised as an evolving strategy to integrate a tertiary education industry into the emerging global knowledge economy through a recurrent synergic cycle which generates economic, cultural, social, and symbolic capital that is embedded into the purpose, function, and delivery of higher education. This thesis makes an original conceptual contribution to the research methodology, theory and practice pertinent to IoHE. Firstly, using a pragmatic transdisciplinary approach, it consolidates the scattered, and not always clearly articulated, methodological approaches used in the field of IoHE. Secondly, the proposed definition and explanatory theory for IoHE sheds light on the role and the purpose of IoHE in the emerging global knowledge economy and provides further impetus for discussion on this important topic. Thirdly, this thesis enriches the body of knowledge on IoHE in the Asia-Pacific region, ASEAN and, specifically, in the two under-researched contexts of New Zealand and Indonesia. Finally, the explanatory theory suggested in this thesis provides a practical framework, which could be applied to academic inquiry concerned with export education industries and IoHE practices in diverse regional and institutional contexts.