Akiyoshi Yonezawa, Yuto Kitamura, Arthur Meerman and Kazuo Kuroda (eds): Emerging international dimensions in East Asian higher education

Abstract

In Emerging International Dimensions in East Asian Higher Education Japanese editors Akiyoshi Yonezawa, Yuto Kitamura, Arthur Meerman, Kazuo Kuroda have compiled a collection of original essays which comprehensively maps the reality of rapidly evolving international dimensions in East Asian higher education, which is ‘‘attracting international attention because of its rapid development both in quantity and in quality’’ (p. 1). The purpose of the book is to take an in-depth and holistic look at the internationalization of higher education in East Asia. With the contribution of scholars from East Asia and other parts of the world, the volume provides the readers with a detailed set of policy-oriented discourses through governmental visions and institutional behaviors at global, regional, subregional and national levels. The common issues related to higher education internationalization are examined, including academic mobility, cross-border activities, quality assurance, interuniversity cooperation, regional integration, trade agreements, and among others. The regional uniqueness of East Asia is highlighted through comparative studies with Europe and North America. The edited volume is organized into 12 chapters. Chapter 1, The Emergence of International Dimensions in East Asian Higher Education: Pursuing Regional and Global Development, serves as an introduction to the issues discussed throughout the book. It traces the changing landscape of higher education in East Asia and presents an excellent overview of theoretical dynamics for the following chapters. Chapter 2, entitled Higher Education as a Public Good in a marketized East Asian Environment, defines and identifies public good and public goods in higher education in the globalizing world under the influence of market ideologies. UK author Simon Marginson emphasizes the shared and collective benefits of East Asian higher education, where ‘‘no system is truly organized as a commercial market’’ (p. 20). The rapidly evolving role and functions of Asian universities in global knowledge production is the subject of Chapter 3. In Asia many states have