Apple and oranges: Comparision of Taiwan higher education institutions` internationalization

Abstract

The internationalization of higher education has become more obvious during the last decade. With the world becoming more globalized, competitions among higher education institutions (HEIs) are not limited to the local arena, but have expanded overseas. In Taiwan, the recent rise in numbers of HEIs has further strengthened the need for institutions to compete between each other. Hence, in order become competitive, HEIs in Taiwan have taken great measures to become internationalized. This mixed-method study presents an examination of the internationalization efforts of HEIs in Taiwan with a goal of measuring their actual degree of internationalization using the twelve (12) internationalization indicators proposed by Chin and Ching (2009). Participants are the 164 HEIs in Taiwan. A total 34 HEIs participated in the study. Survey questionnaire and interview were conducted. Results show that trend in internationalization has triggered drastic change both in the administration and the orientation of HEIs. This inevitably forces HEIs either to conform to the mainstream or to remain within their comfort zone. Findings also shed light to the different internationalization strategies of Taiwanese HEIs and shall serve as a point of reference for contemporary visions of the internationalization exemplar in the age of globalization.