Bruce Macfarlane and Lihuan Chen have published a new paper entitled 'Decolonising and re-imagining the concept of the international academic' in 'Higher Education'. The paper provides a new conceptual model questioning the relevance of nationality or citizenship in conventional definitions. It is argued that universities should use objective criteria to identify, recruit and promote academics and that their race, nationality or citizenship are essentially irrelevant. Drawing on Merton's distinction between 'locals' and 'cosmopolitans' the paper argues that universities should focus on nurturing ‘cosmopolitans at home’ and ensure that they avoid employing 'locals from abroad' as part of their internationalisation strategies. Over-reliance on recruiting foreign born academics can sustain a post-colonial legacy especially in former colonial contexts in East Asia. A framework, entitled 'ABEONA', is recommended by which institutions can better evaluate how to recruit academics on the basis of their international reputation rather than their nationality.
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