Certifying Internationalisation?

Just read an article in this month's International Focus on 'Internationalisaing Europe'.  Tad pedestrian to start off with: the magazine's for professionals in the international wings of universities - we don't need a summary of where the EU's thrown money at Higher Education in the last 20 years.  That said, two interesting points. 

Firstly, it previews the fact that on 10-11 May that the HE Ministers will "adopt a set of conclusions about the internationalisation of HE and it's importance for Europe's Universities".  This will be very interesting as one of the things I am questioning at the moment is what the EU means by internationalisation in its Erasmus Mundus legislation.  I am pretty convinced that the EU's understanding of the concept has shifted over the last six years (though the documentary analysis I plan to work on next week will give firmer answers).  The term has changed in meaning since Erasmus Mundus appeared on the scene and there are a variety of cultural impacts on how the term is understood.  This document may give me some hints as to how some see the term.  But a single set of conclusions and reflections on the importance of internationalisation may be tricky with the variety of cultural, legislative and educational frameworks operating in the EU. 

Secondly, the article previews the plans of the Flemish Dutch Accreditation Agency (NVAO) to issue a certificate of internationalisation.  This will be based on "vision or policy on internationalisation; learning outcomes; curriculum, educational practice and assessment of students in line with international goals; staff with international experience; and sufficient inbound and outbound mobility of students." This intrigues me. As with the EU guidelines, how can you certify something that is constantly changing and that people struggle to find a single definition for and, also, does this not risk allowing one version of internationalisation?  It is very good to see the impacts on the teaching and learning aspects of a university's life but the importance of international research is important.  I am not sure that NVAO's topics allow for understanding or impact; as I am finding looking at Erasmus Mundus, the policy or theory may be good, the reality may be different.  Finally, I wonder how well UK universities would be rated when the number of outbound mobile students is low and it is one of the fastest growing provider's of off-shore teaching.  Does this definition of internationalisation really feature in NVAO's above five headings?

The article concludes that a certificate will either be a useful tool or fade into insignificance (not much in between, apparently).  For me, the thing with 'certifying' anything is that is makes me think of 'certifying' in the madness sense of the word.  Perhaps I won't go any further with that idea!