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Internationalization is often mentioned in university strategies nowadays. Strong efforts are made by university leaders to strengthen their position in a global market. A central factor behind this tendency is the global rankings of academic institutions. Against this backdrop, the present paper discusses the characteristics of higher education and four modes of internationalization: (a) Import of Ideas; (b) Outsourcing; (c) Insourcing; and (d) Foreign Direct Investments. It is concluded that the most significant mode of internationalization in higher education is constituted by the Import of Ideas to the home institution. In addition, it is pointed out that the striving for reputation on the home market is an important motive behind the other three modes of internationalization, all three of which have particular drawbacks to be dealt with by university leaders.
Lars Engwall (Mon,) studied this question.