The study was conducted to answer the following questions: (a) What are the various modes and forms of international education in a globalized higher education environment? (b) How ready are Philippine higher education institutions for international education? (c) What is the implication of having the various modes of international education in the Philippines?
Two categories of activities of international higher education were found: (a) activities stemming from the traditional spirit of internationalism (ethos of international cooperationism & appreciation of an international quality) and (b) variations of open market transnational education that were born out of the agenda of globalization. Exemplars of these were described. It was also noted that even those activities born out of internationalism seem to have been transformed recently in ways that converge with the agenda of globalization.
The prospects of internationalizing higher education in the Philippines were contextualized within the present education system that is experiencing problems related to efficiency, quality, equity in access, and other external factors. Given this context, it was suggested that participation in international education programs might be limited to students from high-income families, and to institutions with strong financial resources that can be channeled to development programs that will enable them to meet the requirements of these international activities. There is a strong likelihood that international programs might lead to the intensification of the existing weaknesses in Philippine higher education.
All things considered, it seems that Philippine higher education could best benefit from international education activities in terms of improving the quality of programs and resources. Thus, it is suggested that quality improvement be a primary consideration in engaging international higher education. In this regard, more specific issues have to be addressed related to the focus of quality improvement, the status of local institutions in international partnerships, and the strengthening of local networks.
Finally, the prospects for improving the consequences of internationalizing Philippine higher education amidst the globalizing environment will depend on the prospects for (a) strengthening the quality and the efficiency of Philippine higher education, (b) improving access to quality higher education, and (c) creating the external environment that will be conducive to and supportive of international education activities.
