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Enquiry The East Asian Region holds much promise for globalization of its educational sector, yet the journey is rife with hardships and obstacles. Supported by Wah Ching Education and Research Development Fund, jointly-organized by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and the Center for Governance and Citizenship (CGC) of HKIEd, as well as the Comparative Education Society of Hong Kong, the "Governance and Public Policy Symposium on Globalization and Regionalization: Transforming the State and Governance" featured speakers from United Kingdom, Australia, Hong Kong and Mainland China, gathering to discuss the prospect of globalization among East Asian educational systems, stating their great potential for such due to shifts in higher education policies, weakening of domination of English speaking nations, as well as increased support from governments in the region.  Professor Susan L. Robertson from the University of Bristol stated that higher Education was undergoing a shift from regionalism towards a more internationalized approach. Using the Bologna Process – an act which standardized scores and facilitated the transfer of credentials across the European Higher Education Area – as an example, Professor Robertson explained that the Process would better help the outreach and internationalization of Europe's Higher Education Institutes (HEIs). Professor Robert Dale expressed a similar stance, acknowledging the growth of inter-regionalism in the European region and adding that the growth had shifted from a "defensive" strategy towards a model that was exporting itself to other cultures. Following up on Robertson's and Dale's presentations, Professor Anthony Welch from the University of Sydney pointed out the existence of ASEAN, one such similar effort emerging in the East Asian Region that comprised 36 HEIs from various Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and China. The Agreement, he stated, would potentially lead to increased regional integration and internationalization in the future. The speakers also agreed that Education in the East Asian Region was on the rise, with several indicators suggesting the phenomenon. Professor Mok Ka Ho of the HKIEd referenced the changes of standings in "The Times World University Rankings", with East Asian Universities gradually gaining places on the list between the years 2008-2009. Professor Welch presented statistics showing an increase in the number of international (excluding ASEAN) students in Chinese Universities, while Dr Rui Yang of the University of Hong Kong cited the examples of Yunnan and Guangxi, stating the provinces' aspirations and measures taken to promote their HEIs in their respective areas. The shift from an internalized approach can be attributed to government or state policies. This "Regulatory State Regionalism", as coined by Professor Robertson, drew support from their respective governments, who in turn provided the funds necessary for the development of such schools in the inter-regional and global arenas. Examples put forward consisted of Taiwan, who had invested its educational fund in the National University of Taiwan, in hopes of placing the school on the Times Rankings, and of China’s support of its Regular Institutes of Higher Learning in order to raise its educational standing in the region. The process will not be easy. The East Asian Region, with its wide cultural diversity, poses obstacles towards a standardized system that can effectively cover the Higher Education Area in the region. Collaboration with many stronger and/or better positioned countries such as Singapore or Malaysia have not been achieved, and the low international visibility of many HEIs in the region has compounded the problem. Other geopolitical and social factors have also proven detrimental to the development, as with the limited state capacity of ASEAN members as well as internal issues like corruption. Despite the difficulties posed, the symposium concluded on an optimistic note, with the speakers remaining positive as to the future of inter-regionalization and globalization in the East Asian Region. Programme Schedule | 17 November 2010 (Wednesday) | | 10:15 – 10:30 | Registration | | 10:30 – 10:40 | Welcoming Remarks and Introduction of Speakers Chair and Moderator Dr Yu Kar Ming Assistant Professor, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong | | 10:40 – 11:00 | Regulatory State Regionalism, the European Union and Education Professor Susan L. Robertson Professor of Sociology of Education, and Coordinator of Centre for Globalisation, Education and Societies, University of Bristol, United Kingdom | | 11:00 – 11:20 | Global, Regional and National Models of Education Professor Roger Dale Professor of Education, Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol, United Kingdom | | 11:20 – 11:40 | Global Aspiration and Strategizing for World-class Status: New Modes of Higher Education Governance and the Emergence of Regulatory Regionalism in East Asia Professor Ka-ho Mok Chair Professor of Comparative Policy, Associate Vice President (External Relations), and Dean of Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and Co-Director of Centre for Governance and Citizenship, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong | | 11:40 – 12:00 | The Dragon and Tiger Cubs: Collaborative and Cooperative Relations between China and ASEAN in Higher Education Professor Anthony Welch Professor of Education, Faculty of Education and Social Work, The University of Sydney, Australia | | 12:00 – 12:20 | Globalization and Regionalism: Experience of Some Quiet Achievers in China’s Southwest Dr Rui Yang Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong | | 12:20 – 12:50 | Floor Discussion | | 12:50 – 13:00 | Closing and Presentation of Souvenirs | |
