Globalisation and the Emergence of International Consortia in Higher Education

This investigation addresses certain dimensions of international university cooperation, specifically international consortia in higher education. Although reasons vary as to why they were developed in the first place, the majority of international consortia began positioning themselves after World War II and with much increased intensity since then. International consortia, regardless of their mission or purpose, have arguably supplemented higher educational institutions as invisible colleges, whereby the physical infrastructure of institutions has given way to the cooperative relationships established in order to provide adequate quality and variety of instruction, to keep in touch with worldwide trends, and to further promote the dissemination and advancement of knowledge. This study investigates the emergence of 600 + international university organisations worldwide, with particular survey data directed toward international consortia. If the various forms of international cooperation in higher education can be determined to be outcomes of globalisation, internationalisation, and other spheres of influence, the analysis of such organisations may contribute to a deeper understanding of these forces.