Western Higher Education in Asia and the Middle East

Western Higher Education in Asia and the Middle East
Author: Kevin Gray
Publisher: Lexington Books
Total Pages: 297
Release: 2016-12-21
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1498526012

This multidisciplinary volume highlights the transformed nature of the relationship between higher education and society in the 21st century. In particular, it argues that the development of the global university, especially in the non-western world, has transformed the traditional understanding of the relationship between higher education and society. This has important implications for the relations of state, as education has not only become an object of national development policy but for many states an important export. The history of the university reflects the decisive social transformations which have given definition and identity to both new nations and modern societies. In the post-war period, universities in the industrialized world underwent a radical shift. The mass expansion of higher education ensured that universities were no longer centers designed to train youth to assume the leadership positions held by previous generations. Instead universities were to become centers where job skills could be imparted and knowledge produced, refined and used in the newly emerging Cold War economies, and where students could develop the skills necessary for employment in a changing world. Rather than focusing on the refinement of future leaders, the task of the university became linked to the development of economically exploitable technical knowledge. A shift of comparable magnitude is now ongoing in the nature of higher education itself. Globalization has led to the growth of knowledge communities around the world, mirroring the rise of centers for global finance in previous decades. In the Middle East and Asia the demands of the knowledge-based economy have led to the opening of new indigenous universities and branch campuses and partnerships with established European and North American universities. Education City in Qatar, for instance, has received or been pledged more than 200 billion dollars since its inception. The growth of new indigenous universities has altered the traditional role of the university further, increasing the emphasis on courses which are close to the marketplace. These new partnerships have contributed to the creation of what is now referred to as the global university.

The East Moves West

The East Moves West
Author: Geoffrey Kemp
Publisher: Brookings Institution Press
Total Pages: 340
Release: 2012
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0815724071

"Details the growing interdependence of the Middle East and Asia and its likely ramifications. Particular attention is given to India and China, which have a strong interest in trade--especially in oil and natural gas--with the Middle East and Central Asia" [site de l'éditeur]

Transnational Education Crossing 'Asia' and 'the West'

Transnational Education Crossing 'Asia' and 'the West'
Author: Le-Ha Phan
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 372
Release: 2016-10-04
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1317638131

In this book, Phan Le-Ha identifies and discusses four growing self-sustained/sustaining fundamental phenomena in transnational education (TNE), namely (1) the planned, evolving and transformative mediocrity behind the endorsement of English-medium education legitimized by the interactive Asia-the West relationship; (2) the strategic employment of the terms ‘Asia/Asian’ and ‘West/Western’ by all stakeholders in their perceptions and construction of choice, quality, rigour, reliability and attractiveness of programs, courses, and locations; (3) the adjusted desire for an imagined (and often misinformed) ‘West’ among various stakeholders of transnational education; and (4) the assigned and self-realized ownership of English by otherwise normally on-the-margin groups of speakers. A focus on how these phenomena impact questions of identity and desire in TNE is a running theme. The above phenomena are discussed against the backdrop of ‘the rise of Asia’ sentiment and how this sentiment has played out in interactions and relationships between ‘the West’ and ‘Asia’ and among Asian institutions and various entities. Phan Le-Ha’s examination of the identified phenomena in TNE has been informed by her multi-layered engagement with the dialectic of the Asia-the West relationship, her critical take on certain pro-Asia and decolonisation scholarship, and her interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach to theorise the field and the specific topic under scrutiny. Phan Le-Ha shows that the current Asia chooses (not necessarily by force but largely by will and often with an informed and well-articulated agency) to go with the idea of the West and often desires an affiliation with the West either directly or indirectly, something that is getting more intense in the context of globalization, regionalization, and commercialization of education. The rise of Asia has made the idea of the West even more looked-for in Asia. TNE in Asia, in many ways, is the transforming and dynamic transit point, a layover that facilitates entry into a wanted destination – the West and/or the idea of the West. The West and Asia need one another more than ever in the context of the internationalization and commercialization of higher education. What’s more, the West and Asia have hardly ever been mutually exclusive but have rather been in an eventful love-and-obsession relationship with each other. This is the very dialectic proposition that Phan Le Ha takes throughout this book while paying specific attention to transnational higher education in the greater Asian region including the Middle East, following her several research projects conducted in the region since 2005 to date. Transnational Education Crossing 'the West' and 'Asia' explores: • English, Internationalisation of Higher Education, and Identity: Increasing Academic Monolingualism and English-only Package • Transnational Education and Dream Realization: From the Philippines to Vietnam, From Afghanistan to Dubai, From Everywhere in Asia to Thailand • Desiring International /Transnational Education: Theorisation of Key Concepts and Next Steps from Here The book will be of interest to researchers in the field of transnational education, Asia education and education policy.

Western Higher Education in Global Contexts

Western Higher Education in Global Contexts
Author: Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 169
Release: 2018-10-31
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1498571824

The globalization of American style higher education is a field of study that is undergoing a significant phase with the current expansion of American branch campuses and curricula around the world. This volume contributes to the scholarship on the project of implementing and expanding U.S. influenced curricula in the Middle East and Asia. Many of the branch campus projects are only a few decades old making this a liminal moment in the translation and development of higher education worldwide that needs to be captured. What are the challenges, opportunities, and considerations faculty encounter in classrooms in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Asia? How do faculty translate western higher educational principles in new contexts? Projects like the multiversity international branch campuses of Education City, in Doha, Qatar, demonstrate the interest of foreign governments in western education and training. Other collaborations, like the Yale National University of Singapore College, demonstrate a nationalistic approach, where the nation’s premiere university maintains as high a profile as the invited collaborator. Such a wide range in mission and matriculation of students deserves further study. We open the conversation about the complex teaching and learning environment of American style education in a global context. Contributions include case studies, pedagogical interventions, and reflections. This volume features chapters by faculty teaching at international branch campuses (IBCs) or institutions using western curricula, such as the worldwide, privatized American University system

The Dynamics of Higher Education Development in East Asia

The Dynamics of Higher Education Development in East Asia
Author: D. Neubauer
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 283
Release: 2013-12-18
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1137347376

This book examines four theses regarding Asian higher education and development: interplay between cultural traditions, economic development, globalization, and the evolution of the 'hybrid' university. Top scholars evaluate these hypotheses and determine the elements shaping the history and present circumstances of Asia-Pacific higher education.

Higher Education Regionalization in Asia Pacific

Higher Education Regionalization in Asia Pacific
Author: J. Hawkins
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2012-10-25
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1137311800

Asia is rapidly developing a wide variety of regional organizations and interactive patterns, reflecting in large part its increasing role in the global economic and political engagements. Higher Education constitutes a distinct sphere of activity within this overall pattern of regionalization.

Higher Education in the Middle East and North Africa

Higher Education in the Middle East and North Africa
Author: Yew Meng Lai
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2016-06-15
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9789811010545

This book explores the prospects for higher education development in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. Adopting a South-South perspective (from the viewpoint of a developing country), it seeks to promote a deeper understanding of this colourful and highly diverse, yet volatile region. As such, it examines six selected MENA countries that serve as case studies for identifying the gaps and challenges as well as their potentials in terms of higher education development. Based on expert interviews and focus-group discussions with more than 85 individuals across the six countries and complemented by related facts and figures from both international and national documents, it presents an in-depth discussion and analysis of the countries’ respective political, security, and economic situations. These serve as preconditions for the cultivation of an environment conducive to facilitating the advancement of higher education. It also provides a critical overview of higher education in these countries, notably in terms of the current national system, legislative framework, accreditation, quality assurance, recognition concerns, and other critical issues that enable and/or constrain the development of their respective higher education sectors, and that of the region, as a whole.

Higher Education in the Asia-Pacific

Higher Education in the Asia-Pacific
Author: Simon Marginson
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 474
Release: 2011-08-21
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9400715005

This survey provides unprecedented scope and detail of analysis on higher education in the Asia-Pacific region. In this era of global integration, convergence and comparison, the balance of power in worldwide higher education is shifting. In less than two decades the Asia-Pacific region has come to possess the largest and fastest growing higher education sector on Earth. The countries of East and Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific together enrol 50 million tertiary students, compared to 14 million in 1991, and will soon conduct a third of all research and development. In China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Singapore, ‘world-class’ universities are emerging at breakneck pace, fostered by modernizing governments that see knowledge and skills as key to a future shaped equally by East and West, and supported by families deeply committed to education. But not all Asia-Pacific countries are on this path, not all reforms are effective, and there are marked differences between nations in levels of resources, educational participation, research, state controls and academic freedom. Higher Education in the Asia-Pacific: Strategic responses to globalization provides an authoritative survey of tertiary education in this diverse and dynamic region. Its 23 chapters, written by authors from a dozen different countries, focus successively on the Asia-Pacific as a whole, the strategies of individual universities, and national policies and strategies in response to the global challenge.

Edu-renaissance: Notes From A Globetrotting Higher Educator

Edu-renaissance: Notes From A Globetrotting Higher Educator
Author: Da-hsuan Feng
Publisher: World Scientific
Total Pages: 468
Release: 2016-03-29
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9814632724

Born in New Delhi, raised in Singapore, and educated 'everywhere', including Asia, the United States, and Europe — Professor Feng Da Hsuan (冯达旋) is the epitome of a man who has worn many hats in both the East and West. From being the Vice President for Research and Economic Development of the University of Texas at Dallas, Advisor to the Vice Chairperson of the United States Congressional Armed Services Committee and Senior Vice President of Global Strategy, Development and Evaluation at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan, to his current position as the Director of Global Affairs and Special Advisor to Rector, University of Macau, Professor Feng's wealth of experience has complemented his inquisitive mind, foresight, and forward-looking nature on education and its future, evident in his speeches, articles, and reviews from the last decade and a half.Edu-renaissance: Notes from a Globetrotting Higher Educator brings together 50 of these pieces and they cover a wide range of ever-relevant topics such as the value of higher education in society, the role Asian universities have in the world, and hot topics like university ranking. Professor Feng also shares his new ideas and insight on promising young universities and higher education in the 21st century. One example is his emphasis on how the promotion of liberal arts and interdisciplinary approaches are the way forward for higher education institutions in the 21st century. By relating these topics to countries such as Taiwan, Korea, India, China, the United States, Israel, and Russia, this volume is ideal for readers who are part of a global community concerned about one of the most important issues in the world today — education.

From Dependence to Autonomy

From Dependence to Autonomy
Author: P.G. Altbach
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 281
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9400925638

This book is an example of an international editorial enterprise. The two editors, located in the United States and Singapore, coordinated a team of authors in ten countries. Linked by common concerns, the lengthy process of preparing such a complex volume proved to be a pleasantly cooperative task - proof that there is a kind of invisible college of colleagues working on similar topics in different countries. This book is also an indication that scholars from the Third World and the industrialized nations can work together in a spirit of equality and understanding. This project has an interesting origin. It was first discussed at a conference on ASEAN - American higher education held in Malaysia in 1985, sponsored by the Regional Institute for Higher Education and Development, then headed by V. Selvaratnam and funded by the Asia Foundation and the Lee Foundation. At the time, geographical coverage was to be limited to the ASEAN nations. We also sought external funding, without success, to assist us in developing the project. Due to lack of funding, the project languished for a year. When one of our original participants, Andrew Gonzales of the Philippines, produced an essay, we decided to proceed without funding. We also decided to add several additional key Asian nations that we felt would provide additional analytic scope to the book. The result of this somewhat unusual collaborative effort is this volume.