Postsecondary policy and management in the Far East: a comparative study

Abstract

Over the past decade, there has been a revolution in policy, planning and management practices in higher education in the developed world. The decline in the traditional college-age population and the stressful fiscal conditions of the late 1970s and early 1980s, after over two decades of growth, were catalysts for new approaches to public policy and institutional management. There has also been increased research on the effectiveness of policy and management methodologies in the West. This paper explores the applicability of contemporary western policy and management methodologies to the technical sector of postsecondary education in three Far Eastern countries: Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines. Case studies are analyzed to explore the applicability of these methodologies to the developing world. The major finding is that, because of new conditions facing higher education in these countries, contemporary approaches to policy and management are applicable. However, specific methodologies require adaptation to accommodate the political, institutional and cultural environments in these settings.