Making internationalisation meaningful in education

Our international business classrooms bring together students from numerous countries, cultures and educational backgrounds. This may seem like internationalisation, but the presence of diversity alone does not reflect true internationalisation. A diverse learning environment creates the potential for international learning but does not guarantee it.

The real opportunity for internationalisation emerges when students are encouraged to engage with different perspectives, question their assumptions and learn how culture shapes the way people communicate, collaborate and make decisions. An important question to consider here is: Are we internationalising classrooms by bringing in students from around the world, or are we internationalising learning by turning cultural diversity into opportunities for collaboration, reflection and learning?

Diversity as the starting point

Universities measure internationalisation through indicators such as the number of international students, nationalities, exchange opportunities, international partnerships and programmes delivered in English. These indicators show the internationalisation approach of an organisation.

However, it does not show what students learn about being in an international environment. An international business classroom here at Haaga-Helia can include students from different nationalities yet may not still function as truly international.

Through my teaching experience, I have observed that students from a specific culture prefer working mainly with other students from the same culture or communication style. Or even when the teams are required to be multicultural, some students may choose to divide tasks, communicate as little as necessary and work largely independently rather than actively engaging in cross-cultural collaboration.

When students work independently on team assignments, they have little opportunity to understand different perspectives. Therefore, the presence of difference is not enough. The more important question is, “What should be done with the difference?”

It is important to connect internationalisation with curriculum and student learning rather than treating it as institutional activity or international mobility (De Wit and Leask 2015; Leask 2014). Therefore, it is important to shift the focus from student nationalities or international appearance of the classroom to what everyone in the classroom is learning.

Learning through differences

An international classroom offers opportunity to learn through differences. Culture has a profound impact on one’s communication, leadership, collaboration and conflict resolution skills. However, reducing culture to national stereotypes is also not a correct approach as people also differ because of their experiences, personality, education and background (Smith & Bond 2019).

Students can learn through differences by comparing what is different and asking why it is different. They can learn that same business message can be understood in different ways across different markets. They can discover new customs, values and ways of living and explore how communication styles affect teamwork. They can learn different ways of solving the same problem and compare approaches to leadership and decision-making.

The aim of international learning is not only about knowing the basic cultural characteristics of people, but to develop curiosity, adaptability and cultural awareness.

The Changing Role of Haaga-Helia Teacher

Teachers at Haaga-Helia could push the students working in teams to challenge their assumptions to broaden their understanding. Teachers can make students curious and question why others might see the situation differently and how their communication style is interpreted. It’s important to encourage students to explore what they can learn from another perspective instead of relying on what is familiar. These aspects can turn cultural differences into valuable learning resources (Barrett 2018).

In an international classroom, it is teacher’s responsibility to create conditions in which students can listen to unfamiliar perspectives, question assumptions and learn through interaction. This way international classroom could be a rehearsal space for professional working life, where students practice resolving misunderstandings in international teams and listen to unfamiliar perspectives before making decisions.

Turning Diversity to Meaningful Learning

International learning should provide structured opportunities to work across differences and reflect on what those experiences teach. Diversity in the classroom alone does not automatically produce international learning.

When students learn to navigate differences, they develop skills that go beyond the classroom. Instead of asking, “How diverse is our classroom?”, teachers should ask, “What our students are learning because of this diverse classroom?” Meaningful international learning is achieved when teachers create an environment where students feel encouraged to share experiences, challenge assumptions and learn from perspectives different from their own.

For example, teachers can ask students to compare how a topic is understood or approached in their respective countries, encouraging them to question assumptions and discover different perspectives. Further, teachers can encourage students to reflect on what they have learned from their peers’ experiences and turn cultural differences into opportunities for mutual understanding. Teachers can do this by organising mixed-group discussions where diverse student groups solve tasks together, appreciate different perspectives and learn from each other.