The International Baccalaureate® (IB) chooses to define international education according to the following criteria.
- Developing citizens of the world in relation to culture, language and learning to live together
- Building and reinforcing students’ sense of identity and cultural awareness
- Fostering students’ recognition and development of universal human values
- Stimulating curiosity and inquiry in order to foster a spirit of discovery and enjoyment of learning
- Equipping students with the skills to learn and acquire knowledge, individually or collaboratively, and to apply these skills and knowledge accordingly across a broad range of areas
- Providing international content while responding to local requirements and interests
- Encouraging diversity and flexibility in teaching methods
- Providing appropriate forms of assessment and international benchmarking.
This is similar, but not identical, to the way international education is defined by other sources. On Wikipedia, for example, the first definition offered is:
“…education that transcends national borders by the exchange of people, for example, by students travelling to study at an International Branch Campus, as part of a study abroad program or as part of a student exchange program.”
The second definition is the one the the IB would share, suggesting that international education is a:
“…comprehensive approach to education that intentionally prepares students to be active and engaged participants in an interconnected world.”
There is clearly a distinction in the definition of what international education really is.
What are your thoughts on the true nature of international education?