Changing Regulatory Regimes and Governance in East Asia

Abstract

The emergence of transnational higher education in Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong has been commonly prompted by the irresistible trend of globalization, and fueled by the inclusion of higher education as an industry under the GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services) framework (Knight 2002). However, due to the diverse politico-economic contexts of these societies, it is promoted and developed under different considerations by each state; hence a variety of governance and regulatory systems are put in place between the state and transnational higher education providers. This chapter attempts to critically reflect upon the changing regulatory regimes and governance in East Asia, especially when higher education provision is increasingly proliferated.