Globalisation in theory and practice: Negotiating belonging in Danish higher education

This chapter examines different understandings and practices of globalisation and considers how global flows of information, values, and opportunities shape life choices and experiences, especially amongst international students from the so-called Global South. The phenomenon of globalisation has been theorised in many ways and we highlight its role in producing abyssal thought that makes certain values and life forms visible, while it eliminates others. The theorising of globalisation—especially within the Western academy—has practical and personal affects that shape lives and the possibilities for achieving individual fulfilment and societal recognition. It this sense, we can view theory as creating reality. With this perspective laid out, we go on to describe the experiences of a select group of Nepali students who have travelled to Denmark to start new lives only to have those seriously constrained by the many barriers that limit the free flow of skills, ideals, and bodies. Here, we conclude that while globalisation may be framed by many as a field of opportunity, a closer inspection suggests that these opportunities are made available to a select few. A starting point for a more equitable world is to understand the uneven terms on which it is constructed.