Studies on internationalization in universities, internationalization of the curriculum and internationalization of research are growing exponentially in the international literature, accounting for a phenomenon of vital importance for the development of the universities themselves and of higher education. Why do universities need to internationalize? Mercantilism, rankings. What are the benefits of an internationalization that integrates? The international dimension is present in the very name of the university, in its evolution. Traditionally, the intensity of the international dimension has been associated with the quality and prestige of universities, but the concept of internationalization is forged from a mercantilist approach to higher education. Higher education systems have registered in the last two decades a process of strong diversification -both in its organization and in its quality- with the inclusion of different and contradictory university models.