The soft power of international education Gerd Nufer's insights on China's investment in Euro 2024 sports marketing (https://lnkd.in/e_zvFgfU) got me thinking about the parallel with educational investments. Just as Chinese companies leverage sports to enhance their brand image and enter new markets, China's educational investments aim to boost its soft power. Soft power indexes, while influential, carry biases. Nation branding, a recognised mechanism to enhance soft power, aims to elevate a country's value perception globally. Despite efforts to quantify and measure soft power, its success remains difficult to gauge. Only a few integrated measures related to higher education exist, highlighting the need for more comprehensive metrics. In my article in "Internationalisation of Higher Education" https://lnkd.in/eDsMq3pK, I discuss how globalisation has transformed international higher education, leading to the proliferation of mobility programmes, collaborative research projects, and expert networks. Cultural institutes, offshore campuses, and multinational universities have been established, guided by policies and quality assurance bodies beyond national borders. Recognising international higher education as a form of geopolitical power has led governments to invest significantly in promoting international education and aligning it with foreign policy goals. While recognising the noble intentions behind many endeavours, my research also explores certain controversies. I reference an Arté documentary “Soft Power: Universities at War”, which highlighted issues of using education for soft power, showing the disparity in spending and its impact on global rankings and influence. The commitment to creating a footprint in global education and expanding the frontiers of science requires significant government expenditure. The disproportionately large sums of money invested by economically powerful nations compared to other parts of the world evoke fears of perpetuating inequalities in international higher education. The soft power concept is intertwined with economic hard power, allowing powerful nations to leverage financial advantages to maintain desired statuses in educational ranking and reputation. This combined use of hard and soft power is seen by advocates as "smart power," whereas sceptics raise concerns about preserving inequalities between competing nations. According to some prominent scholars, international higher education should focus less on soft power and more on knowledge diplomacy, uniting diverse actors to address global issues that no country can solve alone. This approach promotes inclusivity and intentionality, moving beyond elitism to achieve a greater common good. What are your thoughts? #Softpower #Internationalisation #esbbusinessschool #highereducation
Professor für Marketing, Handel & Sportmanagement ESB Reutlingen – Studiengangsleiter MBA International Management Part-Time und M.A. International Retail Management – Direktor Deutsches Institut für Sportmarketing
Euro 2024: Das große Geschäft Die letzten Wochen haben eindeutig dem Fußball gehört. Morgen startet die K.O.-Runde der Fußball-Europameisterschaft. An den spielfreien Tagen ist der richtige Zeitpunkt, um kritisch hinter die Kulissen des Events zu blicken.⚽ Das österreichische Wochenmagazin "News" hat mich interviewt. Hier u.a. meine Einschätzungen zu Sponsoren aus China und zur Einstellung vieler Fans:💪 https://lnkd.in/ebZbAA3j #MBA #Master #berufsbegleitend #Weiterbildung #InternationalManagement #InternationalRetailManagement #Sportmanagement #Nachhaltigkeitsmanagement #Leadership #Digitalisierungsmanagement #esbbusinessschool #esbspirit #VfBMaster #PowerMBA ESB Business School, Reutlingen University Knowledge Foundation - Reutlingen University VfB Stuttgart Bildungsakademie
Robert Gibson
4mo
Thanks Hazel Gruenewald for raising these important issues. I will certainly take a look at the ARTE documentary. In general I see a gulf between the discourses in academia and those in business and politics. To move towards a constructive knowledge diplomacy there needs to be much more intensive exchange between these areas.
Couldn't agree more. Thanks for this Hazel Gruenewald!
Professor | Corporate Trainer | L&D Consultant | SHRM-SCP
4moGreat post, Hazel Gruenewald! Comparing China's use of sports and education to boost its brand is spot on. Your article highlights the transformative power of globalization in higher education, from mobility programs to international campuses. The points on spending disparities and their impact on rankings are eye-opening. Emphasizing knowledge diplomacy over soft power is a powerful idea. By uniting diverse actors to address global challenges, we can create a more inclusive and impactful educational landscape.