Education

  Star Education Fair

Sunday April 30, 2006

Star shining bright

The international higher education scenario is on the threshold of exciting changes and challenges, and the prospects for the Asia-Pacific region are very bright indeed. HARIATI AZIZAN reports.

WHAT will the future bring? This was the question that provided much food for thought and discussion at an international education forum in Brisbane, Australia, recently.

As more than 900 experts, policymakers and players of higher education from the region deliberated on the question for two days, it became clear that the answer lay not in a crystal ball but right here in the present.

The delegates at the first International Education Forum 2006, organised by the Australian Department of Education, Science and Technology, faced an arduous task, identifying future trends and societal, economical and technological developments in international higher education.

There could not be a more apt theme – “Challenge your thinking” – as the forum was asked to consider the “big picture” of issues and trends that will shape international education over the next 10 to 20 years.

BISHOP: There is no room for complacency in education; all stakeholders need to meet the challenges of the future innovatively.
As Australia’s Minister for Education, Science and Training Julie Bishop said in her opening address, “We can safely predict that education will play a vital role in the next 20 years, as the catalyst for a world of knowledge, understanding and prosperity.”

The rapid change in international education, however, means that there is no room for complacency; all stakeholders need to meet the challenges of the future innovatively.

“In 20 years (by 2026), teaching and learning will be very different from what it is today. Who studies, what they study, where and how they study – all these will change. How are we, as education leaders, going to anticipate and respond to these developments?” she asked.

More importantly, where do we start?

Changes on the horizon

Bishop also talked about the tradition of travelling far and wide, in search of educational opportunities.

”For centuries, people have travelled for education. In medieval Europe, scholars and students travelled freely without regard for political boundaries,” she said.

“The concept of international education really took off after World War II, with the increase in various forms of educational aid, such as scholarships and other initiatives.

“If we look at the factors that have driven this growth, the rise of the developing world since the 1950s is, of course, foremost. As countries, especially in Asia, embarked upon the road to development, the need for expertise and skilled people increased.

“This demand continued to surge as regional economies expanded and diversified,” she added.

As students and academics today become more mobile, stakeholders in education find themselves needing more frameworks of quality assurance and mutual recognition.

India has successfully turned its pool of highly-skilled manpower into a brain bank for other countries to tap into. --AP filepic by Gautam Singh
The balance of global economic and political power is slowly but surely changing.

Traditionally, the world has seen a flow of knowledge and investment in education from the more developed countries to the less developed, specifically from the West to the East.

There are signs, however, that all these may soon change, as countries like China, South Korea and India make their impact felt, not just in the world political and economic arena, but also in education.

Language is also another important issue as more and more countries start offering programmes in the English language, while languages such as Mandarin and Arabic grow in importance.

Much has also been said about the impact of technology on education, and as highlighted in the forum, the growth of international distance and online education has boosted new modes of delivery and resulted in the formation of new alliances and partnerships between institutions of higher learning.

New rules

When the first speaker, futurist Andrew Zolli, took the podium, the forum was already buzzing about what the future may bring.

Looking at key technological, social and economical changes, Zolli systematically gave a forecast of the major changes in the world in his talk Our future, our world: a prominent futurist’s view of our world in 20 years.

Using statistical data, complex models and what he called “structured imagination”, Zolli‘s future scenario was familiar, albeit with new measurements, more returns in private equity, increased competition and a greater need for global experience.

“With the greater use of the Internet, lifelong learning and liberalisation of trade, students know more about the world. Higher education must rise up to the challenge and figure out how to give students a more comprehensive and engaging experience.”

Zolli also highlighted the changing global demography as one of the key drivers to change.

“The international population is increasing rapidly but there is a distinct demographic pattern – the developed world has an aging population while developing or undeveloped countries are populated by a younger population.

“This will enhance the demand for higher education in developing countries while institutions in countries with an aging population will face a drop in demand,” he said.

Many countries in the West, especially in Europe, are facing a decline in population growth, while in developing countries in the African continent and Asia, population is booming. In the Middle East, the youth population makes up 60% of the total. About 20% of university-aged citizens (23 million people) in China, for example, are in higher education, up from 1.4% in 1978.

This has made an impact on enrolments in higher education in these countries.

Zolli also predicted a change in the working world, with an increase in outsourcing and migration. There will be a return of right-brained economy, humanism design and creativity as higher education becomes more and more homogenised, he said.

As Mandarin grows in importance, China is making itself increasing felt in the international higher education scene. --AP filepic by Greg Baker
“The new market will see similar companies employing similar people, similar educational backgrounds, coming up with similar ideas producing similar things.”

As the global industry seeks people who can work creatively, he highlighted, new competition will reinvent the rules and higher education must meet this challenge.

Brain drain, brain gain

Echoing him is talent development and Generation-Y expert Peter Sheahan who provided an insight into how the younger generation look at the possibilities and challenges of the future.

He argued that young people in their lifetime will have an average of 29 jobs and work in at least five different industries. This, he added, will have an impact on global vocational training and higher education.

“Young people today live through technology, thus higher education needs to represent this. They build relationships with people around the world,” he highlighted, stressing that internationalisation will be a way of life for the younger generation.

Working across borders will be the norm, making it imperative for governments and the higher education sector to prepare students for the global market.

A pressing issue to address, however, is the knowledge gap between the haves and the have-nots in the world.

“Kenya, for one, is lagging behind other countries where higher education is concerned, and faces a problem in catching up with the rest of the world,” said permanent secretary of Kenya’s Education, Science and Technology Ministry Prof Karega Mutahi.

“We need to address the issue of access to education if we are to compete in the global world. A short term strategy is to send students overseas but we run the risk of losing talents to the West as students opt to stay back and work overseas instead of returning to Kenya,” he added.

He said that governments need to create a more attractive environment for the “brains” to return to, something which is difficult for a developing country like Kenya.

An Indian delegate from the floor however painted a more optimistic picture of “brain drain” – a 20th century fear – by suggesting that it be viewed from another perspective.

“Look at it as a brain gain, as in India where we are creating a brain bank for other countries to tap into. That has attracted our students to return to India.”

  • Next week: StarEducation will look at issues of global education quality and qualification standards as discussed at the forum.

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