Transnational Higher Education in Asia and the Pacific Region

Book excerpt: This volume is mainly concerned with transnational higher education in some selected countries in Asia and the Pacific region. Compared with other parts of the world, especially since the 1990s, there has been a rapid development of transnational higher education in this area. Issues concerning importing and exporting higher education activities or services have become one of the major debates in higher education reforms in many countries and regions at both policy and institutional levels. In a major sense, Asia and the Pacific region is the most important and active area in which transnational higher education has occurred. Moreover, policies and strategies concerning transnational higher education in many countries and areas in Asia and the Pacific region have recently gained increased attention and visibility. Though there exists a vast diversity in the selected countries and regions, this volume has been designed to address four of the shared major research questions. First, what is the context, rationale, or driving force for development of transnational higher education in each of the individual case studies? Second, what policies or regulations, if any, concerning transnational higher education exist in the selected countries? And if there are any, what are they? Third, what are the current circumstances, issues, characteristics and general trends of transnational higher education in these case studies? Finally, what outcomes or effects have been brought about by developments in transnational higher education? These eight case studies were selected so as to provide a variety of examples of development of transnational higher education in this region. [Author abstract, ed].