An Analysis on localization and Internationalization of Universities Curriculum in the Globalization Era

In recent years, the subject of internationalization has been one of the most discussed issues in academic centers. Higher education expert's beliefs that this subject is a new paradigm and inevitable approach in curriculum development of universities. Internationalization is a term that refers to the process of integrating an international and intercultural dimension into the teaching, research and service functions of the institution. Localization is another approach that refers to promotion, adaptation and development of knowledge, technology, culture and specific values in the specific context and alike internationalization is a response to globalization. The purpose of this study is, surveying the nature of internationalization and its causality, practical models and principals and specifying its relation to multiple theories of fostering local knowledge and localization in globalization of education context. These theories have varied emphasis on global dependence and local orientation and therefore they have their own characteristics, strengths, and limitations in conceptualizing and managing the process of fostering local knowledge and human development. Clearly, their implications for design of curriculum and instruction and their expected educational outcomes in internationalization of curriculum are correspondingly different. Each country or local community may have its unique social, economic and cultural contexts and therefore, its tendency to use one theory or a combination of theories from the typology in globalizing and internationalizing education may be different from that of others.