Eten, Simon; (2023) A Critical Examination of Internationalisation of the Curriculum and Global Citizenship Education in One University in Ghana. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Internationalisation of the Curriculum and global citizenship formation have become important goals in higher education around the world. As such, universities are increasingly positioning their mission statements along the narrative of becoming global and producing graduates who can navigate globalising societies and professions. As a case study, this research examines curriculum internationalisation and Global Citizenship Education in one university in Ghana. Employing a theoretical framework of a Critical Global Pedagogy, I engage with the views and experiences of students, lecturers and institutional heads on dimensions of curriculum internationalisation and Global Citizenship Education that manifest in the institution’s policy and curriculum. The findings highlight complexities at the intersection of the colonial foundations of the case study institution, contemporary power dynamics that characterise the institution’s internationalisation practices as well as the dilemma around pursuing global engagement whilst ensuring local relevance. Connected to this, three key recommendations are made from the findings. The first is the need for a clear institutional policy definition and direction on what curriculum internationalisation and global citizenship formation means for the institution as part of its broader vision of becoming world-class and research-intensive. There is also the imperative around striking a balance between embedding the curriculum of the institution within its historical and socio-cultural specificities as they pertain to the Ghanaian and wider African context whilst at the same time ensuring that the curriculum is globally engaged. Lastly, I propose a decolonial approach to curriculum internationalisation and global citizenship formation, building on African epistemological and ontological traditions. This draws directly from the South African communitarian concept of Ubuntu, around which community building, mutualism and cooperation can be pursued. I argue that Ubuntu can be leveraged to foster African citizenship in students and transposed to the global level as part of the expansive notion of global citizenship.

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