Internationalisation in higher education is commonly associated with visible phenomena—particularly student exchanges across countries, European research and development projects, and multidisciplinary double degree programmes. Internationalization at home is another way for students and staff to meet peers and experts from other countries and cultures, while also developing intercultural communication skills and sensitivity. Yet, whether abroad or at home, internationalisation also gives rise to something less visible and harder to identify: tacit internationalisation. This can be compared to tacit knowledge—used intuitively and unconsciously, but not always easily defined or put into words.

Tacit internationalisation challenges traditional notions of internationalisation in higher education. It is not only about travelling, exchange periods, or formal international projects. Rather, it often rises slowly and almost imperceptibly from everyday cross-cultural interaction, cultural sensitivity, and a curiosity towards one’s immediate environment. Tacit internationalisation can be thought of as an invisible fabric connecting people across borders—not through passports, but through encounters.

Typically, international competence acquired either abroad or domestically refers to concrete skills: foreign language proficiency, cultural awareness, and the ability to adapt to changing conditions and diverse mental frameworks—that is, the internal structure of thought guiding how we perceive, interpret, and act in different situations. This framework includes values, beliefs, experiences, cultural backgrounds, and internalized thought patterns (Launikari 2023).

So far, in higher education contexts, less attention has been paid to what tacit internationalisation is or how it manifests itself. Polanyi (2009) argues that one essential feature of human knowledge is its tacit, context-bound, experiential, and hard-to-articulate dimension—suggesting that we can know more than we can tell. The same applies to tacit internationalisation.

In international contexts, tacit knowledge refers to personal expertise residing within individuals—their specialised skills, problem-solving abilities, and analytical capacities. Such tacit knowledge and intuition are difficult to articulate or transfer to others, since they encompass many dimensions: skills, experiences, relationships, and intangible qualities. However, for higher education institutions to remain competitive and innovative in today’s turbulent global environment, effectively sharing and applying tacit knowledge—alongside explicit knowledge—is vital. (Shahzad, Chilba & Arslan 2024.)

Tacit Internationalisation is Based on Experiential Learning

Although the term “tacit internationalisation” is not yet widely present in academic literature, its meaning and relevance can be explained through theories of tacit knowledge and experiential learning (e.g. Kolb & Kolb 2005). Experiential learning is a social, practical, and interactive process (Pohjalainen 2012) in which learners construct knowledge and values through direct experience (Gross & Rutland 2017). This kind of knowledge is not formally taught or documented—it is acquired by exposure to and participation in diverse social situations and cultural contexts. Over time, such experience accumulates as tacit knowledge, becoming apparent in an individual’s abilities, skills, perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours. (Shahzad, Chilba & Arslan 2024.)

Tacit internationalisation underlines that knowledge gained in different ways is deeply embedded in personal experiences and specific situations. It is not abstract or universally applicable but shaped by numerous encounters and the unique circumstances in which they take place (Pohjalainen 2012). For example, someone who has lived abroad may have learned local customs through everyday interactions, thereby developing tacit internationalisation. That person may not be able to explain every nuance of the culture in textbook terms, but possesses relevant, practical insights gained from experience. Tacit internationalisation recognises that meaningful international understanding is grounded less in formal knowledge or theoretical frameworks and more in practical wisdom derived from real-life experiences in varied cultural environments (Pauleen, Rooney & Holden 2010).

To make tacit internationalisation visible during studies, higher education institutions need to provide supportive and psychologically safe learning environments. They also need pedagogy that strengthens students’ agency and participation while valuing them as individuals (Laurea 2023). At Laurea, internationalisation is not understood merely as language skills, but as the ability to engage with diverse people and function in multi-voiced communities. Teaching methods, digital platforms, learning materials and practices can provide students with tools to identify, articulate, and conceptualise their own tacit internationalisation (Pohjalainen 2012). This requires strong international competence from both management and staff (Kaasik-Krogerus 2022; Kekkonen & Annala 2017).

Tacit internationalisation is not so much a plan of action as it is a way of sensing, seeing, hearing, and encountering otherness. It can manifest itself in many ways: for instance, when a student listens to their peers talk about their experiences from a different cultural or ethnic background and pauses to reflect on it. To better understand, the student may seek further information directly from those peers. Or when teachers designing courses recognise that the world does not equal Finland or the European Union. By challenging themselves not to fall into narrow thinking, teachers can offer students alternative frameworks for understanding reality through multi-voiced materials, culturally sensitive teaching methods, and encouragement for dialogue.

At its best, a higher education environment that fosters diversity and community allows multilingualism, cultural practices, and worldviews to coexist without fear of tension or exclusion. This everyday internationalisation is an integral part of students’ personal growth and professional development for the future of work. (Partanen & Häikiö 2023.) At Laurea, this is supported by the Learning by Developing model (Laurea LibGuides 2024). The model enables students to participate in multinational RDI projects, where internationalisation arises from collaboration and co-creation. Likewise, English-language degree programmes and multilingual courses in Finnish higher education provide space for challenge-based learning and tacit internationalisation.

Tacit Internationalisation Emerging in European Higher Education

Recognising tacit internationalisation and supporting the transformation of European higher education require a shift in institutional thinking. The European strategy for universities (European Commission 2022) emphasises global competence, cross-border mobility, and societal impact. European university alliances with their knowledge hubs and open campuses are building the infrastructure for this transformation.

In European higher education cooperation, tacit internationalisation is not merely about physical student or staff mobility. More importantly, it is about developing practices and learning environments where internationalisation becomes part of everyday interaction—respect for diversity, cultural sensitivity, and shared learning across borders, both at the individual and institutional level. In this way, stereotypes can be dismantled, common understanding built, and space created for fragile but meaningful dialogue. Perhaps the real beauty and power of internationalisation lie precisely here: in everyday choices, subtle moments, and genuine encounters that generate understanding greater than ourselves.

About the author

Dr. Mika Launikari, M.Sc. (Econ.), works as a Leading Expert in international higher education cooperation at Laurea, where he is responsible for collaboration within the PIONEER alliance with ten European partner universities on the sustainable development of future cities.

References

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