Internationalization of Knowledge Work in Argentina: The Case of ‘Global Professors'

Globalization has changed the world in many aspects relevant for professionals and ‘knowledge workers’, such as professors and teachers. One of these aspects is linked with higher education and its internationalization process. The configuration of the educational sector and the increasing necessity of ‘symbolic analysts’ and other ‘knowledge workers’, who can manipulate and manage the proper codes required for production today, are part of a development that calls for permanent and higher education to foster production and social reproduction. These global processes significantly increase the need for ‘knowledge workers’ and for cross-border higher education, and subsequently, this may cause conflicting interests between local education institutions and transnational providers. In addition, lifelong training is increasingly required, such as postgraduate and professional courses in a wide range of areas. Taken together, these are major reasons for a new emergent type of a ‘global professors’ in 21^st century. A growing number of professors are working in different countries but without moving: moreover, as virtual tutors or professors they are teleworkers in the information society. This paper will discuss this new reality in Latin America, specifically focusing Argentina.