Description:
AbstractThe paper draws on analysis of industrial economic development to contrast two models of internationalisation in universities. The first is based upon copying and serving large corporations. The suggestion is that adopting this approach would imply significant failures in the educational process. In the extreme, it would result in a world with a small number of first tier universities that fail to serve the interests of the communities and societies in which they operate. The second model is a type of networking, a so‐called multinational web. This draws on the behaviour of certain small firms. It envisages research and learning that is inclusive, enhanced by widened experiences, understanding and options. Rooted in the college of scholars approach, its emphasis is on democracy, positive freedom and multinationalism. These characteristics are illustrated and explored through a case: an on‐going experience of nurturing research and learning in industrial economics.