Abstract
This chapter presents the case for the harmonization of higher education in Southeast Asia, exploring the background of the region in relation to its higher education and defining the meaning of harmonization in higher education. The author further explains why harmonization is a necessity and explores key actors who have potential to motivate the harmonization process in the region. He concludes that higher education systems in Southeast Asian higher education need to be harmonized, outlining the efforts to do so and exploring further possibilities for the future of the harmonization process.
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Notes
- 1.
Normally, basic education is regarded as each country’s right to “educate” and produce desired citizens. So it is internationally agreed that the harmonization process of education will only focus on the higher level.
- 2.
The “why” question is answered in the Lisbon Strategy.
- 3.
The author prefers the word “harmonization” to “regionalization.” Further explanation can be found in section “Definition: What is the harmonization of higher education?”.
- 4.
This is the number of EUA members, most of which are research universities. There are other research universities which are not members of EUA.
- 5.
Research is fundamental for national development. Recognition as a research university suggests high quality of the institutions and their graduates.
- 6.
These numbers are approximations, assigned by governments who took the global ranking of universities into account.
- 7.
It can be seen that Thailand and Malaysia have around the same student population as the Philippines and Vietnam, which have more HEIs. This is because of the size of universities. Some countries like Thailand may have fewer HEIs than certain countries like Philippines, yet its HEIs can support larger numbers of students.
- 8.
For more information, see Table 5.1.
- 9.
Further details on quality assurance systems in the region can be found in section “Quality assurances systems (QA systems)”.
- 10.
Unlike other countries in the region, Singapore uses external QA systems from developed countries, and they are under the framework of the Ministry of Trade.
- 11.
For further information, see section “ASEAN quality assurance network (AQAN)”.
- 12.
Further information can be found at http://www.seameo.org/asaihl/
- 13.
Further information can be found at http://www.umap.org/en/home/index.php
- 14.
Further information can be found at http://www.apru.org/
- 15.
Further information can be found at http://www.rihed.seameo.org/mambo/index.php
- 16.
For details, see section “UMAP credit transfer scheme (UCTS)”.
- 17.
For details, see section “Southeast Asian credit transfer system (SEA-CTS)”.
- 18.
For details, see section “ASEAN quality assurance network (AQAN)”.
- 19.
Further information can be found in http://www.aunsec.org
- 20.
For details, see section “ASEAN university network-quality assurance (AUN-QA)”.
- 21.
For details, see section “ASEAN Credit Transfer System (ACTS)”.
- 22.
It should be noted that members of senior official meetings and ministerial meetings of SEAMEC and ASED are by and large the same persons.
- 23.
General regulations for standard learning outcomes in different degrees (e.g., basic education, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree) are in the Qualification Framework of each country. This Qualification Framework will state standard capacity that students who receive certain degrees are expected to have. Each country has its own Qualification Framework. For example, Qualification Framework of Higher Education in Thailand is regulated by Thai Qualifications Framework for Higher Education (TQF).
- 24.
- 25.
Further information regarding ACTS can be found on http://acts.ui.ac.id/
- 26.
See section “Regional organizations” for more information about the meetings on regional education.
- 27.
Diploma supplements in Europe are still not successfully implemented in all HEIs.
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Yavaprabhas, S. (2014). The Harmonization of Higher Education in Southeast Asia. In: Yonezawa, A., Kitamura, Y., Meerman, A., Kuroda, K. (eds) Emerging International Dimensions in East Asian Higher Education. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8822-9_5
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