Subsequently, higher education came to serve the administrative and economic interests of the nation-states, becoming essential in the development of national identity. The scholar evolved from a cosmopolitan wanderer into a citizen. But toward the end of this century, learning has again become more international. Not only are nations and international bodies placing greater emphasis on international cooperation and exchange, but the institutions themselves are developing their own strategies to internationalize research and teaching. This way of looking at the internationalization of higher education differs quite a bit from many other approaches to this theme.
Most studies ignore the links between the international and the local environment.
Finally, such studies see internationalization not as a process but as an activity with a beginning and an end. The role and the character of the political and economic rationales for internationalization of higher education have changed more radically over time. There is no single answer to this question. Political rationales . As the nation-state developed and with it colonial expansion, political rationales came to the fore.