Pedagogy for the Internationalization of Higher Education

Internationalization brings a change in the paradigm of universities that shift from a national and regional identity to an international and intercultural one. This phenomenon transforms the university environment and presents new interfaces and challenges to educators, who are the protagonists of this process.

In Brazil, the training of higher education teachers lacks a specific public policy for pedagogical training, unlike in Basic Education. University professors seek qualification at Master’s and Ph.D. levels, generally in their specific areas of knowledge, where they prepare themselves as researchers but not necessarily as professionals in increasingly essential pedagogical roles.

Some institutions maintain training activities in teaching methodologies in higher education, addressing this gap, but they are insufficient to reach the entire system. This has consequences for teaching and learning, which are aggravated when internationalization is introduced into the curriculum design, as envisioned by the IaH or IOC.

These challenges include: lesson plans that promote internationalization, maintenance and expansion of collaborative relationships with institutions and researchers outside the university community, including abroad, among other possibilities.

A heterogeneous group of students, diverse in their countries of origin but also in social classes and racial groups, as is increasingly the case in Brazil with the introduction of quotas for Black, Indigenous, and public school graduates, requires the professor to permanently question the effectiveness of their pedagogical principles and practices.

The education of students from diverse backgrounds requires continuous learning from the faculty. The dimensions of academic training need to be part of teachers’ professional development programs, becoming increasingly relevant in the development of future citizens. Cooperation and integration strategies also meet the need to promote relevant learning experiences consistent with the 21st-century world.

Given the demands brought by the IaH or IOC, professional development should enable teachers to appropriate pedagogical practices that use the diversity of students themselves as a teaching and learning resource. For this purpose, a “Pedagogy of the Internationalization of Higher Education” is proposed in the Brazilian context, encompassing four dimensions:

Dimension of scientific knowledge in the field: it involves the teacher’s mastery of their area of knowledge based on national, regional, and international realities and references, encompassing trends in the scientific field and providing training with a global perspective.

Pedagogical dimension: it involves the interrelation of elements in the teaching and learning process, with methodologies and resources appropriate to the students’ profile. It constitutes a diagnostic and formative evaluation process, reorienting classroom practices based on the curriculum.

International dimension: it involves the ability to work in networks and collaborative projects, from a perspective of solidarity and cooperation, strengthening mutual capacities and contributing to the construction of a local/regional/international articulated education space.

Social dimension: it involves the presence of the foundations of empathy, respect, and ethics that express values that are inseparable from quality education for all, without distinction for sustainable development.

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