Underneath the Surface of CosmopolitanismIn search of cosmopolitanism in higher education Anne Keizer-Remmers

How cosmopolitan are students who study in an international environment? What is the effect of the presence of (fellow) international students? How well does the international policy of a university of applied sciences translate into advertised cosmopolitan identity? How do students visualise cosmopolitanism in their study environment? What do they see, think, feel, and notice? What is the unconscious image of the university in the mind of its students? And what happens when a teacher who is inspired by cosmopolitan values studies her own practice, aiming to improve what she is doing – yet perceives herself as a living contradiction?

This innovative study seeks to answer these and other questions by using the very eyes, hearts and minds of the target group, the students. The newly developed Social Photo Matrix method was utilised in order to provide an in-depth image of the organisation. This method taps into the shared associative unconscious underneath the glossy surface image created by marketers and managers, bringing unexpected and surprising images to the fore.

The book places these original, sometimes puzzling, and at times even bewildering inner representations in the context of moral cosmopolitanism. At the same time, the book is an account of a unique learning experience, resulting in a Living Educational Theory. It offers university boards, policy makers, educational professionals, academic staff, and practitioners for whom diversity is central to their work, a deep insight into the minds of today’s students who will be tomorrow’s global professionals and future citizens of the world – an interconnected world marked by diversity and interdependence.

Anne Keizer is a senior lecturer, trainer, coach, and project leader in Higher Education. She is a member of the Research Group Internationalisation of Higher Education at Stenden University of Applied Sciences.