Chapter 12: Internationalization Of The Curriculum: Observations and Reflections From a Michigan State University Scholar-Practitioner

As clearly demonstrated in this section, internationalization at UW-Madison has been an ongoing and evolving undertaking with broad support and thoughtful direction to propel its forward movement. The vivid examples presented in this section as mini-case studies evince the multi-faceted efforts of faculty, staff, and students to make internationalization a holistic endeavor for the institution. Guided by the WI Idea, individual initiatives are linked to a set of values that serve as heuristics for decision-making and offer an environment within which innovation occurs, while tradition is still regarded.

The chapters in Section I provide rich ground to examine the impacts of internationalization on teaching and learning at UW, as well as the ways in which it is enabled by strong partnerships and intentional structures. Recognition of these existing exemplars is important as we contemplate the prospect of an international higher education landscape forever changed by the pandemic. To what extent is a course adjustment necessary given some challenging realities wrought by the pandemic, including budget considerations, travel restrictions, complicated views on public health, and political issues at an institution wherein internationalization has become fundamental? Other questions arise, such as those related to how organizational approaches, pedagogies, and engagement methods might be improved through reflection on lessons learned along this not-so-easy path. In the areas that UW has done well in terms of internationalization, how were exogenous and endogenous factors been handled and how will the introspection prompted by the pandemic strengthen planning and practices in the future?