Higher education in Asian countries and the role of international ...

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Abstract
The international community is interlinked in such a coherent way that in today‟s globalized
world the socio-economic development cannot be achieved in isolation. Moreover the scientific
and technological developments have led to an enhanced interaction and interdependency at
international level. The new ICTs have herald the digital era and knowledge based economy.
Today knowledge is becoming borderless as the information and innovative ideas are no more
restricted to political boundaries of a country but flow continuously in all parts of the world. In
this context the importance of education, particularly higher education has increased further and
it is developing and expanding in all regions. The rapid expansion and extension of higher
education, in this globalized world, depend on the collective efforts of different stakeholders at
state and international level. In this context nation centered policies and isolated national efforts
to develop higher education are not adequate to develop fully the higher education and to make
relevant to the national and international needs of a society. Thus to face these new challenges
international organization particularly intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) are playing an
active role in a variety of way.
The active participation of multiple actors, at national and international levels, and their
multifaceted contributions in the field of education, including higher education, have given IGOs
dynamic and changing roles to play. These international bodies are rapidly becoming an integral
part of the international society and the circle of their activities is continuously expanding. In
recent years the demand to measure the effectiveness of IGOs has increased due to three major
reasons: the number of IGOs is continuously increasing, huge amount of resources are poured
into these bodies but still many of objectives set by IGOs could not be achieved. In this regard, it
is very important to explore how, when and why these international actors act, react and
cooperate with each other.
The level and type of higher education in a country affect the efficiency and overall productivity
of a nation. Owing to the increased importance of higher education, nations are struggling to
reform, reframe and restructure policies and systems pertaining to higher education with an
objective to increase the share of highly educated population. It can improve the economic