INTERNATIONALIZATION AT GALILEE INSTITUTE

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1 INTERNATIONALIZATION AT GALILEE INSTITUTE Yossie Shevel 1 * International Higher Education opens minds, enabling people to go beyond building connections, to exchange ideas and greater understanding between cultures. In the 21st century, universities and higher education institutes that do not develop international programmes will be unable to compete in the present and future higher education markets. Internationalization of higher education today includes the internationalization of curriculum, the internationalization of research, offering dual degrees with foreign partners, involvement of international alumni, creation of international quality assurance frameworks and increased competition for international students. It has significance for the sustainability of higher education at national level and subsequently the contribution that higher education makes to the development of a nation, its people, and its ability to compete in a global market. It is integral to economic well-being, driven and enabled by liberalization of the international trade (General Agreement of Trade in Services GATS). Internationalization is the intentional process of integrating an international, intercultural or global dimension into the purpose, functions and delivery of post-secondary education, in order to enhance the quality of education and research for all students and staff, and to make a meaningful contribution to society. (De Wit et al., 2015). In recent years, higher education has become more international. Governments emphasize internationalization of higher education through international co-operation and exchange. Institutions and universities develop their own strategies to internationalize their researches and their teaching. 111 * Galilee International Management Institute: contact jshevel@galilcol.ac.il

2 112 The 17 Sustainable Development Goals 1 (SDGs) outlined in the 2030 UN Agenda offer an opportunity for the global higher education community to evaluate how universities contribute. Despite some criticisms about scope (too wide) and funding (not enough), the 17 Sustainable Development Goals provide a globally agreed-upon vision for the future. Though only one of the goals is focused directly on education (SDG #4 aims for inclusive and quality education for all and though it is focused on primary and secondary levels, it mentions the tertiary level of education among its targets), the various SDGs require support of higher education institutions and professionals. From the elimination of poverty (SDG #1) and hunger (#2), through the development of sustainable cities (#11), and on to prevailing peace and justice (#16), all of these goals require well-educated and thoughtful public citizens. There is a tendency at the UN, the World Bank and other global institutions to focus on macro trends. They emphasise that educational attainment is rising around the world. Yet such high-level narratives neglect the massive gaps and (more) visible inequalities both among and within nations. They focus on the overall number of highly educated people in the world yet ignore that these gains are primarily concentrated among the economically well-to do Sustainable Development Goals: development/sustainable-development-goals/

3 113 Figure 1: Tertiary education completion rate by wealth of regions; Source: UNESCO, World Education Services GALILEE INSTITUTE, ISRAEL INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES Galilee International Management Institute, located in Israel, develops advanced capacity-building courses for professional personnel from all over the world. Since its establishment in 1987, the institute received a global reputation as a leading institute. The institute was founded on the belief that all countries can advance their economies by investing in the human element - in the knowledge - as well as the innovative, daring thinking of the people working in each sector of society. This belief has been strengthened as we witnessed the rapid economic and infrastructural development of Israel in less than seventy years since its establishment, despite the lack of natural resources. Social emphasis on education and initiative has proven to be a powerful engine of progress. More than 20,000 senior managers, administrators and planners, from over 170 countries, have graduated from the various programmes of the Institute.

4 114 EXAMPLES OF ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES JOINTLY WITH EU UNIVERSITIES Roskilde University, Denmark Joint MA programme in Health Systems Management. This programme was designed for senior health officials from the Developing World mainly from African and Asian countries. Studies lasted for 12 intensive months and were held at both locations, at the Institute in Israel and at Roskilde University in Denmark. At the end of the programme, participants received their MA degrees from the Danish university. New University, Faculty of Government and European Studies, Slovenia Joint PhD in International and Diplomatic Relations. This programme was designed for senior political and economic leaders in the Developing World, mainly from African and Asian countries. The programme lasts for 3 years and is held at both locations, at the Institute in Israel and at the University in Slovenia. Paris School of Business, France - Executive DBA. This Joint Executive DBA programme is made up of a unique partnership, representing different geographical and cultural backgrounds. The programme is designed to enable working professionals to remain in their managerial positions while undertaking their periods of study and will provide the necessary tools to contribute to production and dissemination of the applied science in the areas of management and business administration. The joint Executive DBA is a fullfledged degree, but contrary to the Ph.D. the focus is on professional experience.

5 Cooperation with Palestinian Organizations - In an effort to live up to the values of regional cooperation, the Institute partners with Palestinian organisations to deliver capacity building programmes that advance development in the Palestinian territories. The view of the Institute is that this pro-active investment in regional cooperation is a key in the path to peace. In line with this mission, the Institute is devoted to participating in the projects of local organisations that promote Israeli-Palestinian endeavours towards co-existence and wellbeing for all in the Middle East region. 115 CONCLUSION Galilee Institute s policy and international strategy is based on the new trends of higher education. Education in general, and higher education in particular, is becoming more and more international and the number of students studying abroad is increasing steadily. Several governments have already realised this potential and have been encouraging their universities to attract foreign students. The UK is the fastest growing destination, with half a million foreign students. We forecast that this trend will continue, therefore Galilee Institute has been developing tri-lateral training and academic programmes. For example, the new MA in Educational Management and Leadership of Ghana will be held at 3 locations: the university in Ghana, Galilee Institute and the European Institute of Educational Leadership. As the Asian student market is also growing steadily, we believe that

6 EMUNI and its members should develop training and academic programmes for Chinese, Korean and other Asian markets that are looking for advanced, attractive educational programmes. Galilee Institute has already signed an important agreement with the Government of China and during 2017, 350 senior Chinese students and officials went through the Galilee s various programmes, especially focusing on innovation. 116 REFERENCE De Wit, H., Hunter, F., Howard, L., & Egron-Polak, E. (2015). Internationalisation of Higher Education. Brussels: Policy Department, Directorate General for Internal Policies, European Parliament.