2 Read the text quickly and identify (a) the topic, and (b) the purpose. 3 Read the text again and decide which statement 1-3 contains the main idea. Give reasons. 1 Subjects…

2 Read the text quickly and identify (a) the topic, and (b) the purpose. 3 Read the text again and decide which statement 1-3 contains the main idea. Give reasons. 1 Subjects taught in universities are more internationally relevant than in the past. 2 International cooperation between universities is stronger than in the past. 3 Universities have a greater international mix of students than in the past. The internationalization of higher education 1 Tertiary education represents 34% of today's global market for education, and more students travel abroad for their university studies than ever before. Recent research suggests that ni the region of four million tertiary-level students enrol each year in universities outside their native country. This number is steadily increasing. The largest numbers of international students are from China, the USA, and Western Europe. 2 3 4 5 International universities are not a new phenomenon. Nine hundred years ago, students from around Europe travelled to the first universities in Bologna, Paris, and Oxford. Over the centuries, this trend continued, creating strong academic networks, and helping information and research results to cross borders. nI the early part of the 20th century, the United States started to attract students and professors from around the world. American universities created a system where good teaching and first-class research took place under one roof. These universities were rich and had many of the best students, the best departments, and the most modern laboratories. Today, the vast majority of universities worldwide are following the US model. Towards the end of the 20th century, universities in a number of other countries started to encourage more students from overseas. Today, many universities around the world have a large proportion of foreign students. For example, around 20% of the students at universities in the UK are now from another country. At the University of Oxford, students currently come from over 140 countries, and overseas students make up one-third of the student body. This broad international approach is mirrored in the teaching, as over 40% of the university's academic staff are citizens of foreign countries. Other countries which have a high proportion of foreign students include Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and some European countries, such as Luxembourg and Switzerland. The United States has over 20% of the world's international students, but this accounts for less than 5% of its total student numbers. However, universities are not only attracting foreign students, they are also exporting their ideas abroad. By the 1990s, popular Western universities were becoming more financially-driven and were beginning to act more like businesses. They moved closer to their customers by establishing international branch campuses, particularly in Asia and the Middle East, or by making alliances with local universities. nI this way they could offer a British, Australian, or American degree, for example, ni the host country, so that the local student did not have to travel abroad. Overseas branch campuses are today a big part of the growing internationalization of higher education.