Open systems in a changing global context

Abstract

Internationalization is seen as one of the most important developments in higher education; institutions are increasingly engaged in cross-border activity, global cooperation and competition. However, leading concepts on system governance still mostly assume the higher education system to function in a national context, i.e. as a “closed system”. Research on higher education still mostly follows this (implicit) logic. This chapter explores how an open systems approach could help to better understand the dynamics of higher education systems as systems open to a changing global context, as well as to overcome methodological nationalism. It will discuss how such approach challenges existing concepts for system governance and what it implies for the research agenda. It also noted that an open systems approach cannot be assumed as a given or normative direction, especially when taking the recent backlash on globalization, shifting paradigms, threatened values, and possible post-Covid impact into account.