Virtual internationalization as a new form of communication between university and foreign students during the global pandemic

Abstract

This article introduces an original methodological approach to determining and creating mental images of the university and the region in which it is located for foreign students and enrollees. This approach is based on methodology of determining cultural artifacts, concepts and constants that may become the base for the digital visualization of the region’s (in which the university is located) cultural environment. Mental images created using this methodology are the foundation for the new form of communication that is the basis of the “virtual internationalization”. In the article we justify the idea that in the process of globalization - that was heavily influenced by the pandemic – universities can provide unique experiences in exploring culture, history and everyday life of a foreign country or a different region. It is this very experience that motivates enrollees in their choice of studying at a foreign university, and this is why it can be considered the driving force of internationalization, the importance of which for the university’s reputation is not diminished by the pandemic.