Golden Ages on the Horizon

Any reproaches of international higher education being in a state of crisis or retreat are defied by excitement and cooperation in the emerging fields of digital humanities and global identities. Today, international education is booming—but it is booming in the areas of teaching, learning, and research, beyond the old paradigm of student and scholar mobility.

The teaching and learning of international education is a misunderstood phenomenon. It delves into areas that are still novel and perplexing: how to integrate global learning into the classroom and curriculum, and how to assess (qualitatively and quantitatively) the impact of international education on student learning outcomes.

No single association, organization, or discipline can rightly claim the mantle of international education as a form of knowledge, which places the field both at the center and at the periphery of the academy. Because the academy favors single disciplines over large-scale interdisciplinary cooperation, key areas of knowledge remain fractured and misunderstood.

It is time to retire the misconception that international education is simply mobility of people, programs, or ideas. Instead, international education can be considered a “new discipline”—a trailblazing paradigm that upends traditional knowledge structures.

Historical Roots and New Areas of Scholarship

A century ago, international education emerged as a new area of praxis—a crucial link between the idealistic theory of international relations and the practice of fostering world peace and understanding. International education practitioners took on this challenge and succeeded, taking the field to new levels and new audiences.

The field draws its history and strength