Plurilingual Internationalisation of and (with)in higher education:

Principle of economy vs principle of intercomprehension

Abstract

The internationalisation of higher education has become a strategic priority for universities around the world. Caught between international competition and serving local communities, they must manage this tension. A key question arises: Are we talking about the internationalisation of or within higher education? These two concepts, reflecting distinct priorities in the management of ‘academic’ and ‘scientific’ diversity, directly raise the issue of languages and cultures. Whilst the term “multilingualism” is increasingly used in “globalised” universities, it is by no means certain that it refers to shared understandings. In this paper, we will show that, behind the discourse promoting internationalisation, two perspectives – monolingual and multilingual – may be in contrast. Depending on the perspective adopted, either the principle of economy or the principle of intercomprehension will be favoured. These two mechanisms are at work both in the internal operation of the institution and in the connections it forges with the outside world.