ABSTRACT
Since September 2003, an item has appeared daily on the Leeds Metropolitan University website, entitled International Reflections (https://www.leedsmet. ac.uk/internat/reflects/index.htm). These vignettes of exactly 200 words have helped to change the culture at Leeds Met and have both contributed to, and shown evidence of, a shift in mindset in the importance attributed to internationalisation in the institution. In recent years, the University’s approach to internationalisation has changed from being one primarily of international student recruitment to a more values-driven approach which views internationalisation as fundamental to the work of the University and requires a radical reconsideration of how this affects all aspects of the University’s life and work. Leeds Met adopted the definition of internationalisation as ‘the process of integrating an international/intercultural dimension into the teaching, research and service of an institution’ (Knight and de Wit, 1995). Given this thorough re-evaluation of approach, the Internationalisation Strategy (Leeds Met, 2003) was developed with six themes, only one of which relates to student recruitment:
• internationalising learning, teaching and research; • enhancing the international student experience; • enhancing the international experience of home students; • developing and fostering international partnerships and alliances; • developing staff capability for internationalisation; • effectively recruiting international students.
