International Issues in Higher Education

by

Stephen P. Heyneman, Jeongwoo Lee

Introduction

International higher-education issues refer to those problems or dilemmas that pertain to more than one country or region. These can include the nature of student affairs, finance, professional misconduct and corruption, international trade, management efficiency, equity, institutional governance, academic integrity, student migration, research quality, and many others. Until recently, the study of higher education and the preparation of higher-education managers were predominantly North American. The literature on higher education and concepts of higher-education issues of importance are influenced by these origins. This is now changing. In the early 21st century, higher-education issues are heavily influenced by the nature of the changes in western Europe, the former Soviet Union, and in East Asia and the Pacific. And the research on higher education increasingly reflects the new balance of these international issues. The study of international higher-ducation issues continues to be influenced by the North American context—endowments, differential remuneration of faculty, and transfer of course credits. On the other hand, many issues that were once considered solely North American are now international—enrollment ratios, dropout rates, and differentiation in institutional function. Finally, issues have emerged elsewhere, including the study of corruption, trade, research quality assessment, and undergraduate student achievement, which rapidly being studied within North America.

General Overviews

The following works provide an introduction to the field of international higher-education issues. Some do this without consideration of regional differences, including Teichler 2007; Hirsch and Weber 1999; Altbach and Peterson 2007; and Goedegebuure, et al. 1994. Others provide an overview with a particular emphasis. For instance, Altbach, et al. 2009 tracks policies that were originally North American but today can be found globally. Altbach and Levy 2005 provides a perspective on private-sector higher education; Purcell, et al. 2004, on issues pertaining to women’s colleges. Also, Neave and van Vught 1994 tracks government issues; Qiang 2003, internationalization.

• Altbach, Philip G., and Daniel C. Levy, eds. 2005. The private higher education: A global revolution. Global Perspectives on Higher Education 2. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

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  This book outlines general global perspectives on private higher education and then introduces specific cases in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and the United States.

• Altbach, Philip G., and Patti McGill Peterson, eds. 2007. Higher education in the new century: Global challenges and innovative ideas. Global Perspectives on Higher Education. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

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  Analysis of six key challenges in higher education: academic profession, access and equity, higher education and social cohesion, private higher education, international student flows, and research universities.

• Altbach, Philip G., Liz Reisberg, and Laura E. Rumbley. 2009. Trends in global higher education: Tracking an academic revolution. Global Perspectives on Higher Education 22. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

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  Investigation of the main driving forces, in particular globalization and the massive demand for higher education, for changes in its scope and diversity, as well as the results of such changes.

• Goedegebuure, Leo, Frans Kaiser, Peter Maassen, Lynn Meek, Frans A. van Vught, and Egbert de Weert, eds. 1994. Higher education policy: An international comparative perspective. Issues in Higher Education 1. Oxford: Pergamon Press.

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  A volume providing not only comprehensive identification and analysis of the principles, structural features, and modes of different higher-education policies in eleven different countries, but also higher-education policies’ similarities and differences in international trends and issues and country-specific elements.

• Hirsch, Werner Z., and Luc E. Weber, eds. 1999. Challenges facing higher education at the millennium. Issues in Higher Education. Oxford: Pergamon Press.

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  An overview of some key issues in higher education, including challenges at the millennium, the future environment of higher education, and certain initiatives relevant to funding, governance, and alliance building between industry and institutions and technology.

• Neave, Guy, and Frans A. van Vught, eds. 1994. Government and higher education relationships across three continents: The winds of change. Issues in Higher Education. Oxford: Pergamon Press.

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  Analysis of the relationships between government and higher education in twelve countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to examine the effectiveness of specific types of government regulation, in comparison with those of other countries, targeted to address higher-education crises arising in many developing countries.

• Purcell, Francisca, Robin Matross Helms, and Laura Rumbley, eds. 2004. Women’s universities and colleges: An international handbook. Global Perspectives on Higher Education 1. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

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  This book, as an inventory of women’s higher-education institutions worldwide, provides a wide range of specific and detailed information and resources by region, all of which can be used as practical resources for research and studies on women’s higher education.

• Qiang, Zha. 2003. Internationalization of higher education: Towards a conceptual framework. Policy Futures in Education 1.2: 248–270.

  DOI: 10.2304/pfie.2003.1.2.5E-mail Citation »

  Presentation of a conceptual and organizational framework for internationalization of higher education, including the meaning of, rationale for, and approach to internationalization and strategies to incorporate international dimensions.

• Teichler, Ulrich. 2007. Higher education systems: Conceptual frameworks, comparative perspectives, empirical findings. Global Perspectives on Higher Education 9. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishers.

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  Description of various dimensions of higher education in Europe between the 1990s and the present, such as its changing role, access and admission, diversity of institutions, the Bologna process, excellence, and education systems.