Asian higher education policy

A handful of high-profile developments purpose-built for global outposts have sprung up across Asia in the past two decades, promising vibrant, collaborative environments, sometimes at little cost. But as Stanford becomes the latest university to pull out, Rosalind Skillen asks how far the reality matches the rhetoric 

Plans for three new university towns and a 30 per cent increase in PhD scholarships have been well received by the sector

Higher education is under pressure to help deliver Indonesia’s 8 per cent target for economic growth. But should institutions be focusing on internationalisation, funding reform or commercial partnerships? John Ross reports

Empowering existing centres of academic excellence is the best way to make the country’s higher education world class, says Theddeus O.H. Prasetyono

As Awami League supporters are targeted, academics must be prohibited from adopting partisan political affiliations on campuses, says Nahid Neazy

Scrapping of contentious legislation could open up new era of academic freedom, say scholars, but only if it is accompanied by wider changes in institutional culture

The closure of a domestic pathway that helped prepare Koreans for overseas study means recruitment from the country will get harder, says Kyuseok Kim

Prestigious programme that has brought international scholars to Tsinghua for past 10 years aims to foster ‘more nuanced view’ of Eastern giant – despite ever-changing geopolitics

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan urged to ensure domestic universities and research systems benefit from branch campus push

Narendra Modi’s centralisation of power means that his government takes all of the blame when things go wrong. The success of the cockroach movement reflects how the Indian youth’s hopes for a better future have become inextricably tied to a deeply flawed system of national examinations, writes Saikat Majumdar

Country projected to lose another quarter of first-year entrants in 16 years, with international students unlikely to fill the gaps

Backers of current government accused of a ‘witch-hunt’ for urging institutions to take action against alleged supporters of previous regime

Indian capital to lift restrictions that have pushed universities to outskirts but new ventures face stiff competition in city where space is at a premium

Ban on women entering higher education leading to loss of teachers and health workers, Unesco warns

Healthy growth in employment figures may be masking underlying discontent among graduates, experts warn

Economic slowdown and concerns about the value of higher education causing slump in university enrolment

Tuition fees vary widely across new UK and Australian bases, finds analysis

We discuss why a leaked exam paper sparked mass protest in India, culminating in the resignation of a government minister and the promise of reform

Country’s aim to shrink sector 20 per cent using mergers likely to have mixed results

India’s largest protest in years was sparked by the leaking of a medical entrance exam and ended with the first senior political resignation of the Modi era. But it is unclear whether a change of minister and a review of entrance exam oversight will relieve young people’s frustrations. Rosalind Skillen reports  

Institutions must contextualise teaching and research rather than copying what happens in the West, argues head of Asia School of Business

Defining domestic quality on our own terms would incentivise investment in local labs, affordable tuition and community-facing projects, says Nahid Neazy

Modi promises action on exam leaks after mass protests forced Dharmendra Pradhan to step down

Success of small, specialist institutions in attracting students and top scholars shows there are ‘other ways to educate’

Concerns about quality and price will not go away any time soon, but neither will student demand, says Pushkar

Having hit 300,000 foreign enrolments ahead of schedule, experts say the next stage of expansion should be better thought-through

Technical institutions suffer as high youth unemployment pushes students towards international alternatives 

Country is hosting more international students drawn by lure of ‘cool Japan’ while rising costs keep domestic students at home

While computer chip pre-eminence is alluring, it cannot be allowed to overshadow ‘other areas of advantage’, says NTU president

Country shifts soft power focus to universities in developing world, buoyed by the success of its cultural exports

We discuss the ambitions of Shenzhen and other cities in China’s Greater Bay Area to develop higher education systems that match their global economic and industrial clout

The manufacturing powerhouses of Guangdong sit just across the border from Hong Kong, but the region has traditionally lacked the academic prowess that the former British colony has in abundance. A series of cross-border collaborations are seeking to change that. John Ross reports from Shenzhen

New Haven leader sees country as ‘biggest coming story in global higher education’ despite nervousness around regulation and war impact

With opportunities for Indian doctoral graduates narrowing in the West, India’s scheme to repatriate them stands a good chance of success, says Pushkar

Western educators are mostly oblivious to a change of guard in higher education, authors of a new ‘mapping exercise’ warn

Beneath the uncompromising rhetoric, however, federal higher education policies are likely to be gradually implemented, says Eldho Mathews

Universities and researchers alike are currently able to distort the truth with impunity. Attaching consequences to retractions could help, says Pushkar

The handover from the interim government has sparked a revival of ministers’ urge to treat public universities as political fiefdoms, says Nahid Neazy

Political ambition is not enough. Stable funding, coherent regulation and realistic institutional differentiation are also vital, says Kyuseok Kim

University of London institution sets up in Bengaluru tech park

Most students who work more than 23 hours a week report spending ‘zero minutes’ reading but scholars say time spent in employment not wholly bad academically

However strong China’s university system becomes, its success will always be partly dependent on international networks, says Futao Huang

Japan and Australia becoming more popular options, alongside European destinations

First wave of universities finalising plans to open satellite sites insist they are in it for the long haul despite concerns about small intakes, elitism and the effort needed to make ventures a success

New programmes in K-pop and tech signal shift in recruitment strategy, but academics raise concerns over segregation and long-term sustainability

Country’s ambition to become world’s leading higher education sector by 2035 will only be achieved if employment, inequality and governance concerns addressed, says new book

Leaders more qualified now than decade ago, with many boasting international experience, study finds

Focus on physical fitness and psychological support for staff and students, with universities also urged to provide more training

Rocked by population decline, institutions join forces to try to achieve government aim of boosting regional campuses

Amid backlash from higher-caste groups, the Indian Supreme Court has stayed new rules intended to toughen up universities’ anti-discrimination procedures. But is the move the beginning of a US-style pushback against positive discrimination – or just a tidying up of ‘vague’ drafting? Tash Mosheim reports

Careers offices urged to find better ways to judge success beyond placement rates as employers look for more from new starters

Universities encouraged to develop new sites in flagship Northern Metropolis development, backed by increased government funding

Period of increased openness following student-led uprising could soon descend back into political polarisation following BJP landslide victory, academics say

Partnership with ETS will replace 20-year-old traditional entry exam with modular, skills-based assessment as part of bid to modernise national system

Three national universities cleared to exceed limits by up to 5 per cent as Tokyo pushes to compete for global talent

Outgoing president of ambitious Japanese institution discusses building research capacity, dealing with staff discontent and moving on from reliance on public funding

Incoming government could take sector in different direction, scholars say, depending on which party handed power over key ministry

Scholars still inside the country describe administrative purges, censorship, exclusion and fear as merit-based systems collapse under Taliban ideological controls

Decision comes as country looks to expand overseas admissions in bid to counter declining domestic enrolments

Drop in outbound numbers coincides with tightening restrictions in popular destination countries, and efforts to boost country’s own HE system