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

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Knowledge based economy and information society have brought the higher at central position.
Like other parts of the world in Asia also higher education is expending and extending at an
unprecedented rate. Consequently Asia has the biggest size of and share in world higher
education and this region is becoming home of higher education. In this context the OECD is
responding to the societal needs by contributing its share in the development of higher education
in the member economies. For this purpose it has launched different program and projects like
IMHE, AHELO, CERI etc. Asian countries have a limited and very low presence in the OECD
bodies for higher education. Japan is involved in two bodies as a member: Group of National
Experts on the AHELO Feasibility Study and Institutional Management in Higher Education
Governing Board. Korea, Turkey, Israel are also members of Institutional Management in Higher
Education Governing Board whereas Bahrain, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and Thailand are with
observer status on the IMHE governing Board. Saudi Arabia is also observer on Group of
National Experts on the AHELO Feasibility Study.
5.2.11.1 How do OECD contributing to Asian HE
In today‟s society of knowledge the importance of information sharing has further augmenting
because of its catalytic property in the process of change and innovation. The OECD collects and
analyses a great deal of data and information on the partner economies every year that lead to the
generation of new knowledge and innovated ideas, which are disseminated and diffused through
print and digital media.
5.2.11.1.1 OECD publications and Asian countries
For dissemination and preservation of knowledge and information OECD has established an
online library that is called iLibrary. It serves as a resource center to students, educators,
researchers, universities, economic and business centers, IGOs, NGOs and governments
throughout the world with 15 million users the worldwide (OECD, 2010). The OECD iLibrary
contains publications and datasets released by OECD and the selected documents from the other
partner organizations. The online documents in the iLbrary include; 1,000 journal issues, 2,700
working Papers, 2,500 multi lingual summaries, 5,500 E-book titles, 14,000 tables and graphs,
21,000 chapters and articles, 34,000 Stat links, 390 cross-searchable databases and 4 billion data