The Internationalization of Higher Education in Armenia Nowadays the Analysis of the Existing Problems

Abstract

Internationalization is a rapidly growing trend among the higher education system around the world. Academic and research institutions demonstrate a growing interest in the processes of internationalization of higher education, at the international, regional, national, and institutional levels. Internationalization and global engagement are becoming key trends in the development of national systems of education in Armenia and abroad. Numerous researchers have highlighted the problematics of internationalization of higher education associated with the cultural impact of university education, a synergy of humanitarian and natural sciences, intercultural communication, digital and blended learning, international credit and degree mobility, the introduction of international standards for measuring the quality of education defined by the Bologna Declaration. Although internationalization has become established in education at the international level, it should be realized that at the moment there is no single policy or strategy for the internationalization of the higher education system in Armenia, both at the regional and national levels. The lack of uniform strategy is in some way offset at the institutional level: the increasing number of Armenian higher education institutions have integrated internationalization, to varying degrees, in their mission and vision. It can be seen in the activities of the leading universities in Armenia. The global knowledge economy requires all universities to be the competitors for students, faculties, strategic partnerships, and research funding, as well as to prepare their graduates to be global professionals, scholars, highly demanded and competitive. Indicating the mechanism of the implementation of an international component into the existing curricula, programs, research, teaching, and learning processes may contribute to the understanding of the process of internationalization of higher education. Thus, more research is needed on the experience of Armenia and other countries in implementing the provisions of the Bologna process. The purpose of this article is to examine the theoretical and practical aspects of the internationalization process, identifying some challenges and obstacles for the Armenian higher education system and presenting possible ways of overcoming them.