Globalisation, the internationalisation of academia as a whole, and the Bologna-process have recently placed European higher education in a state of change. By critically reading the discourse, three intrinsic internationalisation ideologies (idealism, instrumentalism and educationalism) in higher education have been identified. By drawing from the objectives and ideals of these ideologies, and using concrete examples, this article argues for a shift in focus and also identifies desirable outcomes of internationalised education – where special attention is paid to different aspects of intercultural competence. It is concluded that a somewhat new approach to internationalised education will further enrich higher education, contribute to students’ self-development and enable them to acquire adequate intercultural competencies for the future.