Internationalization and the Governance of Research

This paper addresses two main questions. First, is it appropriate to talk of the internationalization of EU research policies, and if so in which sense? Secondly, in so far as elements of internationalization are observable, how can this be explained? After summarizing the objectives, conceptual framework and hypotheses of the research conducted in the INNOCULT project, from which this paper is drawn, we consider the various dimensions of internationalization as an issue for policy analysis: the language of internationalization, as it emerges from documentary sources and expert interviews; the broader context of trends in European research policies, with particular emphasis on the emergence of what we call for these puporses a 'governance' model of state intervention; and the prospective dynamics of internationalization in its relation to research policy, in light of recent trends and emerging issues. Our conclusions qualify the nature of 'innovation' in contemporary European research policies, in light of the structural pressures that shape them, by pointing to its largely unplanned and adaptive character.