This article presents a critical analysis of key elements within the conference question as the basis for proposals for an inclusive and systematic approach to the development of mainstream disciplinary higher education curricula designed to meet the needs of students and societies in a multicultural globalizing world. The critical analysis considers key objectives, understandings and limitations of GII 'competencies', how we conceptualize 'students' within a globalizing higher education, how 'effective' strategies might be framed, and how internationalization abroad and at home might be re-envisioned in the era of the post-national university. The article illustrates how this critical analysis points to the need to embed internationalization efforts, and their success indicators, within the mainstream curriculum across the disciplines.