Higher education regionalism in Europe and Southeast Asia: Comparing policy ideas

Abstract

Regional cooperation in the higher education policy sector has been on the rise throughout the last decades. In this article, we compare and analyse two instances of higher education regionalisms (i.e. political projects of higher education region creation) in Europe and South-East Asia from an ideational perspective. In so doing, we engage with and challenge the diffusion argument common in both European higher education studies ('Bologna Process export thesis') and new comparative regionalism. Using publicly accessible documents from regional bodies active in higher education policy coordination, and 53 semi-structured interviews with key policy actors involved in these developments, we identify the policy ideas of European and South-East Asian higher education regionalisms, and consider whether the extant models of regional cooperation and the knowledge discourse affected their evolution. Our findings indicate that the 'Bologna Process export thesis' and the diffusion assumptions of comparative regionalism are too simplistic and misleading. We conclude with suggestions for scholars interested in new comparative regionalism.

Relationship between globalization and internationalization of higher education

“…One can assume that the awareness of result awareness in higher education in general has increased in recent decades and has shaped discourses on the value of internationalization. The concept of comprehensive internationalisation was also developed [39].…”

20 Years of the Bologna Process in a Global Setting: the external dimension of the Bologna Process revisited

“…This is a popular position in in EHEA policy circles, namely that '[t]he emerging European Higher Education Area not only created an external identity for European higher education institutions, but it also generated a strong interest for similar types of reform in other world regions' (Hunter and De Wit 2016, 3). The influence of the Bologna process on the development of common higher education areas elsewhere has already been challenged in literature (see also Chou and Ravinet 2017). Chou and Ravinet (2017) argue that regional cooperation in higher education is part of responses to globalization, and increased competition for talent in global higher education markets as well as other political and economic processes in these regions (see also Cabanda, Tan, and Chou 2019).…”

“…The influence of the Bologna process on the development of common higher education areas elsewhere has already been challenged in literature (see also Chou and Ravinet 2017). Chou and Ravinet (2017) argue that regional cooperation in higher education is part of responses to globalization, and increased competition for talent in global higher education markets as well as other political and economic processes in these regions (see also Cabanda, Tan, and Chou 2019). The example of the Asian Universities Alliance (AUA) discussed in the article by Cabanda, Tan, and Chou (2019) is a case in point.…”

Perceptions of Environmental Science and Management Students on Synchronous Online Teaching of Environmental Policies: Learning Experience from Southeast Asian Cohort

“…This is now addressed by international cooperation that covers the development of guiding decision frameworks in a form of international environmental policies (Galaz & Hahn, 2008;Merill et al, 2017). For many developing countries especially in Southeast Asia, these environmental policies are usually discussed on many educational platforms (Chou & Ravinet, 2017;Ho & Ang, 2018;Sanusi & Khelghat-Doost, 2008). This now leads to the development of independent subjects, which is coined with different names such as Environmental Policies and Law, Environmental Policy Analysis, or Global Environmental Policy, that is usually taught on undergraduate teaching programs of public universities specializing in environmental sciences.…”