Internationalization networks: academic excellence programs and network universities

The text «Internationalization Networks: Academic Excellence Programs and Network Universities» is a conceptual article devoted to a comparative analysis of approaches to internationalization of the universities that are on the one hand typical of academic excellence programs and on the other hand of network projects. The author looks into the challenges of managing internationalization process at the university using the example of 5-100 Project as a Russian version of academic excellence program and BRICS Network University as a new network initiative of university cooperation in dynamically developing countries. Widely used methods of comparative analysis help the author to conclude that excellence projects largely contradict network cooperation programs. The task of the former is to integrate university into international academic environment, so that university follows the main trends of this environment development, the aim of international network universities is to find their own place in an international academic environment. Excellence programs are oriented towards ratings, competition and international standards while network universities emphasize horizontal connections and solving peculiar regional problems. Author's conclusions are based on the analysis of uni­versity internationalization processes in the context of what is called "academic revolution" in this article: combination of massification, globalization and commercialization. According to the author's opinion, these processes lead to the development of transnational educational capitalism. The author believes that academic excellence programs facilitate inclusion of countries into these processes, whereas network university projects are oriented towards searching for al­ternative solutions. This is the first time such an analysis is conducted. The results of the article can be used in further research into global trends in education development.