University College London, Institute of Education
10 May 2019
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Diaspora and internationalisation in higher education
The increased movement of people coupled with the rise of communications technology has made it possible for ever larger groups of people to maintain contact with their homelands over vast distances. While, historically, the term ‘diaspora’ referred to the dispersion of the Jewish people from ancient Israel, in contemporary times, the term is used much more widely by academics, policy-makers, and national and supra-national institutions. The term has come to encompass vast and diverse groups of people who claim a tie to both their homelands and host-countries including highly-skilled migrants; refugees; and religious and ethnic minorities amongst others. In contrast to other terms such as ‘immigrants,’ the term diaspora perpetuates the feeling of dislocation, and alludes to hybrid identities, allegiances and cultural practices. Yet despite this growing phenomenon, there has been rather less research on the role of these new diaspora formations on international higher education and knowledge production. Moreover, existing research tends to focus on a narrow instrumental role of highly-skilled diasporas in fuelling knowledge economies and issues such as ‘brain drain.’
Funded by BAICE and co-hosted by UCL Institute of Education and University of East London, this Forum will explore the role of diaspora and how this intertwines with internationalisation in higher education. We aim to: examine diverse theoretical perspectives and how they inform the theme of diaspora in internationalisation; critically assess the dominant discourses around diaspora and internationalisation in higher education; and to explore the implications of different types of diaspora formations on international higher education and knowledge production. Some guiding questions for the Forum are:
- What are the different theoretical perspectives on diaspora and how do they inform policies relating to internationalisation in higher education? What are the underlying assumptions and dominant discourses? How might these discourses vary across divergent diaspora groups (e.g. refugees; highly-skilled migrants; ethnic and religious minorities)?
- What are the implications of transnational diaspora formations on national higher education systems? How do diasporas intersect with national and institutional internationalisation policies and strategies? How are diasporas managed by states to shape international higher education and knowledge production? Conversely, how do diasporas initiate and direct internationalisation in higher education in their homelands and host-countries?
The Forum will consist of two linked events over two academic years (10 May 2019, second TBD) and we plan to submit a proposal for a journal special issue based on Forum outcomes.
Call for Papers: Diaspora and internationalisation in higher education
Funded by BAICE and co-hosted by UCL Institute of Education and University of East London, this Forum will explore the role of diaspora and how this intertwines with internationalisation in higher education. We aim to: examine diverse theoretical perspectives on diaspora and how they inform the theme of diaspora in internationalisation; critically assess the dominant discourses around diaspora and internationalisation in higher education; and to explore the implications of different types of diaspora formations on international higher education and knowledge production. We therefore invite contributions that will focus on (but are not limited to) the following questions:
- What are the different theoretical perspectives on diaspora and how do they inform policies relating to internationalisation in higher education? What are the underlying assumptions and dominant discourses? How might these discourses vary across divergent diaspora groups (e.g. refugees; highly-skilled migrants; ethnic and religious minorities)?
- What are the implications of transnational diaspora formations on national higher education systems? How do diasporas intersect with national and institutional internationalisation policies and strategies? How are diasporas managed by states to shape international higher education and knowledge production? Conversely, how do diasporas initiate and direct internationalisation in higher education in their homelands and host-countries?
The Forum will consist of two linked events over two academic years (10 May 2019, second TBD) and we plan to submit a proposal for a journal special issue based on Forum outcomes.
Submissions
Abstracts of 250 words with full author details (name, position, institutional affiliations, email and telephone number) should be submitted by 30th November 2018. Submissions should be sent via email to Annette Bamberger at a.bamberger.14@ucl.ac.uk. Contributors will be notified about the outcome of their submission by 30 December 2018. Submissions from researchers across all levels, including early-career researchers are welcomed.
The seminar is free to attend and there will be lunch and refreshments.
There are also limited travel bursaries (of up to £100) available for presenters; if you are interested in applying, please contact Annette Bamberger at a.bamberger.14@ucl.ac.uk.
To register to attend, please go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/diaspora-and-internationalisation-in-higher-education-tickets-50706696093
Forum Convenors: Annette Bamberger, UCL Institute of Education; Dr. Terri Kim, University of East London; Prof. Paul Morris, UCL Institute of Education
Keynote speaker: Prof. Fazal Rizvi, University of Melbourne
UEL Research, Innovation and Impact 