Global Academic Movement: Wandering Scholars or Tradable Commodities?

Abstract

Academic movement across the globe has a vital history from the wandering scholars of the middle ages to the current European Union researcher mobility projects. In this paper, we briefly examine the historical forces that have prompted academics to venture around the world. We then focus on the current phenomenon of ‘internationalisation’ and examine its rebirth as academic policy. In particular, we ask how interpretations of ‘internationalisation’ have affected academics’ inclinations to tread a global campus.