Responding to the challenge of internationalization: How Hong Kong universities balance the global and the regional

Higher education worldwide is undergoing a process of globalization and internationalization. Hong Kong is no exception, supported by both government policy and defined visions of local universities. This process involves not just the recruitment of international students and faculties, but also the transformation of local/national higher education institutions into international higher education institutions operating beyond national boundaries and competing actively in international branding and the international ranking “game”. While internationalization of higher education is a natural outcome of the new globalized era, there are also concerns about the growing commercialization and commodification of education, as well as the marginalization or even loss of cultural and national identities in the name of internationalization. This paper discusses the context and challenges of internationalization, and the tensions between the local/regional and the international – highlighting issues such as: the definition of “international” scholarship; the language and venue of academic publication; the role of “local” knowledge and tradition; the benchmarking of educational achievements; the language of instruction; and the content of the curriculum. It raises some pertinent questions and addresses the fundamental question: Is internationalization necessarily in conflict with a vibrant local/national identity and knowledge tradition?