Are China and the ASEAN ready for a Bologna Process? – Factors affecting the establishment of the China-ASEAN higher education area

Abstract

This paper explores the possibility and significance of higher education convergence within the China-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Free Trade Area (CAFTA) in terms of its economic, social, cultural status and external pressure. Existing studies on the Bologna Process show that due to economic, social and cultural diversity, different regions have interpreted the Bologna Process differently. For the CAFTA, higher education is facing more severe challenges compared to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). The lack of strong regional identity, enormous outflows of students and consequent high opportunity cost all suggest that higher education convergence may not simply be desirable but also essential for the CAFTA. Moreover, the common mission of increasing the tertiary education enrolment rate and the similarity of higher education structure could aid the facilitation of this process in the early stage. Although the current situation indicates that the CAFTA should launch such an educational reform, concrete steps and innovative policy are needed to make it happen.