Approach for Higher Education Reform by International Organizations and the Reaction of Latin America

Abstract

Higher education (HE) in Latin America has experienced explosive growth over the past half century, and countries have made their own efforts to reform HE. However, with the intervention of international organizations since the 1980s, HE in Latin America has been influenced by neoliberal ideology. In view of the gap between what Latin American society actually wanted and what international organizations required, this study examines the overall HE reform direction advocated by the latter and how Latin American countries actually accepted or rejected it, especially during the 1990s. However, since this is an introductory study, future research will need to investigate the mechanism of HE reform through external pressures and internal reactions in more depth, considering the contexts and circumstances of each country.