Global Trends, National Policies and Institutional Responses: Restructuring Higher Education in Malaysia

Abstract

A significant global trend during the 1990s is the restructuring of higher education systems. The essence of this restructuring process is a redefinition of the relationship between institutions of higher learning, the state, and the market, and a drastic reduction of institutional autonomy. This article is an analysis of the restructuring process in the forms of privatisation of higher education and corporatisation of public universities in Malaysia. This analysis highlights the context of higher education reforms in the era of globalization, major trends in higher education reforms and Malaysia's responses to these global trends. By focusing on the institutional level, this article examines the expansion and diversification of private higher education as well as the change in the governance and culture of public universities brought about by privatisation and corporatisation.

Issues in Malaysian Higher Education: A Quantitative Representation of the Top Five Priorities, Values, Challenges, and Solutions From the Viewpoints of Academic Leaders

“…A few of these studies include the investigation of the relationship between the quality culture and workforce leadership performance in Malaysian HE (Ali & Musah, 2012); the issue of knowledge management, knowledge sharing, and research collaboration in Malaysian public universities (Tan & Md. Noor, 2013); strategic planning in Malaysian HEIs; university autonomy and political uncertainties (Sirat, 2010); global trends; national policies and institutional responses toward restructuring of Malaysian HE (M. N. N. Lee, 2004); internationalization challenges in Malaysia (Karim & Maarof, 2012); leadership crisis in Malaysian public universities (Sirat, Ahmad, & Azman, 2012); and the main issues of Malaysian public and private HEIs (M. N. N. Lee, 2015). It is noteworthy that as elaborated by M. N. N. Lee (2015), the privatization of HE, the corporatization of public Malaysian HEIs, the embedment of quality assurance in HE, the diversification in sources of funding, and the internationalization of HE were addressed as the main critical issues of Malaysian HEIs.…”

Current Trends in Malaysian Higher Education and the Effect on Education Policy and Practice: An Overview

“…According to Lee (2005), the history of higher education in Malaysia has evolved through four phases, as follows:…”

E-learning and internationalization implementation: Cross cultural analysis of higher education cases

“…Some scholars (e.g. Altbach, 2000;Lee, 2004;Ravinet, 2008;Deem, Mok, & Lucas, 2008;Lee, 2008;Hawkins, 2008;Willis, Yamamura, & Rappleye, 2008;Park & Niyozov, 2008;Tham & Kam, 2008;Power, 2009) point to differing conditions and change efforts across different nations such as: globalisation, competition, massification, managerial control, deteriorating financial support from public sources, emerging globalised knowledge economies, and other changes such as the new regulations for comparability of degrees within the European Union-the so called 'Bologna Process' (e.g. Enders, 2000;Mechtenberg & Strausz, 2008;Cardoso, Porela, Sá, & Alexandre, 2008;Fejes, 2008;Damme van, 2009;Jakobi & Rusconi, 2009).…”