Reforms of University Governance and Management in Asia: Effects on Campus Culture

Abstract

This chapter is an analysis of the reform in university governance and management that have taken place in a number of Asian countries, highlighting the trade-off between institutional autonomy and public accountability, the policy mechanisms used by different governments in granting autonomy to universities. It also analyzes some of the common features of these reforms, in particular the impact of the reforms on the academic in the campus. It is argued that higher education reforms in the Asian region are the results of interaction between global influences and national responses. In examining the relationship between governments and universities, an emerging trend in the region is an increase in institutional autonomy given to the universities in return for more public accountability. In studying specifically the reforms of university governance and management occurring in the region, some countries have corporatized their public universities while others have converted their existing universities into autonomous universities. These restructured universities have not only more institutional autonomy but also to seek alternative sources of funding other than government funding. In addition, many of these restructured universities have also changed their management style by incorporating New Public Management approaches which emphasize efficiency, effectiveness, and market behavior. The reforms of university governance and management have impacted on the institutional culture which tends to shift from collegial culture to a hybrid of bureaucratic and corporate culture.