Higher education in Asian countries and the role of international ...
Higher education in Asian countries and the role of international ...
Higher education in Asian countries and the role of international ...
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<strong>education</strong>. This research is also an attempt to study <strong>the</strong> <strong>role</strong> <strong>of</strong> IGOs <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> higher <strong>education</strong><br />
sector.<br />
1.2.1 Purpose <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> study<br />
This study is not aimed to produce any masterpiece <strong>of</strong> research but to learn about<br />
<strong>in</strong>tergovernmental organizations‟ <strong>role</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>education</strong> by study<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>ir activities <strong>and</strong> engagement<br />
for <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> higher <strong>education</strong> <strong>in</strong> Asia. This study has been designed to f<strong>in</strong>d both<br />
quantitative <strong>and</strong> qualitative evidence about <strong>the</strong> activities <strong>of</strong> United Nations Educational,<br />
Scientific <strong>and</strong> Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Organization for Economic Cooperation <strong>and</strong><br />
Development (OECD) <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> World Bank from 1990 to 2010 related to <strong>education</strong> <strong>in</strong> general<br />
<strong>and</strong> higher <strong>education</strong> <strong>in</strong> particular.<br />
The purpose <strong>of</strong> this study is to have a look at <strong>the</strong> state <strong>of</strong> higher <strong>education</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> selected<br />
<strong>countries</strong> <strong>of</strong> Asia <strong>and</strong> to explore <strong>the</strong> <strong>role</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>tergovernmental organization <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong><br />
higher <strong>education</strong> <strong>in</strong> this region. This study has been designed to provide <strong>in</strong>formation to a wide<br />
range <strong>of</strong> stakeholders: IGOs, states, <strong>in</strong>stitutions, researchers, teachers <strong>and</strong> students.<br />
1.2.2 Why <strong>the</strong>se three organization?<br />
There are number <strong>of</strong> Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), which are engaged <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> field <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>education</strong> some are regional <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs are global. Study<strong>in</strong>g all organization is nei<strong>the</strong>r possible<br />
nor logical. The three IGOs, which are part <strong>of</strong> this study are active globally <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>se selected<br />
IGOs follow three different approaches <strong>and</strong> practice different models <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> realization <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
goals: UNESCO is laboratory <strong>of</strong> ideas <strong>and</strong> capacity builder; OECD is stimulant <strong>of</strong> economic<br />
progress <strong>and</strong> world trade through reforms <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>tellectual development; <strong>the</strong> World Bank is<br />
purely f<strong>in</strong>anc<strong>in</strong>g body as it provides loans <strong>and</strong> technical assistance to poor <strong>countries</strong> for socio-<br />
economic development.<br />
1.2.3 Why study Asia?<br />
Asia ranks number one, among all cont<strong>in</strong>ents, when seen on different scales: l<strong>and</strong> area, total<br />
population, people liv<strong>in</strong>g under poverty l<strong>in</strong>e, illiterate population, economic growth rate, size <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> higher <strong>education</strong>, share <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> graduate population <strong>the</strong> world etc. Dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> last two decades,<br />
<strong>the</strong> higher <strong>education</strong> <strong>in</strong> Asia has grown more rapidly than any o<strong>the</strong>r region <strong>in</strong> terms <strong>of</strong> gross<br />
enrolment at tertiary level. But at <strong>the</strong> same time <strong>in</strong> a majority <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>countries</strong> <strong>the</strong> participation at