Higher Education Strategies andInternational Students Flow in
Asian Countries
G-COE(GIARI)
International Symposium on Asian Higher Education
Waseda University, January 17-18, 2008

Miki SUGIMURA
Sophia University, JapanPurpose of this study
 To examine factors and structure ofinternational students exchange underglobalization in the context of highereducation strategies of Asian countries.
 To clarify the international student flow in
Asian countries and subjects in order tomake a transnational human network forregional cooperation and integration.

Outline
1.International Students Flow and Factors
in Asian Countries
2.Structure of International Students Flow3.Subjects of International Students
Exchange
4.Conclusion

International Students Flow andFactors in Asian Countries(1)１．Transnational Programs

・Cooperation between local higher
educational institutions and foreign-linked
institutions.
・Credit transfer, External degree, Splitdegree, and Distance learning programs↓
・New flow of international students

International Students Flow andFactors in Asian Countries(2)2. Economic Factor(To international students)
・Lower cost of transnational programs
comparing with normal studying abroad(To a host country)
・Effective ways for enlarging higher education
・Beneficial to a host country by acceptinginternational students as future manpower
policyInternational Students Flow andFactors in Asian Countries(3)3.Political Factor
・Each country’s strategy and International competence ofInternational students policy(ex1.)Malaysia’s educational promotion
offices in China, Africa, Middle East andIndochina(ex2.)Singapore’s educational industry(not only higher education but primary and secondly)・National Object of “Center of Educational Excellence” or“Educational Hub” in Asian countries

International Students from AsianCountries in Malaysia
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
500001999 2000 2001 2002 2003

TotalAsia
China
IndonesiaBangladesh
Pakistan
India
ThailandSingapore
MyanmarVietnam
Korea
Srilanka
BruneiInternational Students fromAfrican Countries in Malaysia
60050040030020010001999

20002001

2002

2003

Sudan
Kenya
Libya
Nigeria
Somalia
Botswana
Mauritius
S.Africa
Liberia
Djibouti
Egypt
GuineaEthiopia
Ghana

International Students from Middle
East Countries in Malaysia
600
500
Yemen
Oman
Iran
Iraq
JordanSaudiArabia

400
300
20010001999 2000

2001

2002 2003

Structure of International Students
Flow in Asian Countries(1)1.From Traditional Cultural Context to Economic andPolitical Strategies

・Traditional purpose of international students exchange→mutual understanding
deepening international relationships
・Economic and political strategies→international students exchange as educational
industry or businessStructure of International Students
Flow in Asian Countries(2)2.From Bilateral Exchange to Multilateral Exchange
・Traditional way of international students
exchange→relationship between two
countries of sending and accepting
students.
↓・ Multilateral relationship with transnational
programs(ex.) Chinese students studying at Monash
University of Australia in Malaysia

International Students Flow from Asian Countries(1980)(Source: MORIKAWA Yuji (2006)“Asian Network Analysis”, Result of Waseda COE
Research 2001FY-2006FY, not published data)

International Students Flow from Asian Countries(1985)(Source: MORIKAWA Yuji (2006))

International Students Flow from Asian Countries(1995)(Source: MORIKAWA Yuji(2006))

International Students Flow from Asian Countries (2002)
Source: MORIKAWA Yuji (2006)

Destination of International students
from East Asian Countries

China ⇒①U.S.A.②Japan③U.K.④Australia⑤Germany
Korea ⇒①U.S.A.② Japan ③ Germany ④ Australia ⑤ U.K
Japan ⇒①U.S.A.② U.K③ Australia ④ Germany ⑤France(Source: Atlas of Student Mobility, Institute of InternationalEducation) ＊Statistics as of 2004。

International Students Flow ofEast Asian Countries
China
Int’l Students in China(43%-Korea)

Int’l Students in Korea(62%-China)

Int’l Students in China(19%-JAPAN)

Int’l Students in Japan(62%-China)

Int’l Students in Korea（６％－Japan）

Korea

Japan
Int’l Students in Japan（16％－Korea)

Transition of International
Students Flow in Asian Countries①Number of International Students from Asia toWestern countries (ex. USA, UK, Canada andAustralia) has been increasing.
② A new trend of students exchange in Asia, inparticular some flows among ASEAN countries
and China, Korea ,and Japan has been seen.
③ Some key countries appeared in students
exchange. (China, Korea, Japan ,Malaysia,Singapore)

More active student flow within Asian region．

Subjects of International
Students Exchange(1)1.Quality assurance problem of transnational
programs↓
Necessity of monitoring and controlling thestandard and quality of all the educational
programs including transnational programs byhigher education institutions(ex.) China’s project “Enhancing Higher
Education Quality” since 2003(ex.) Malaysia: LAN (National Accreditation Board)
activities

Subjects of International
Students Exchange(2)2.Relationship with internal affairs of each hostcountry・ Effects of cultural contact and human mobility
caused by international students exchange
・ Necessity of making a balance between Internal
policies and international trends↓
・ Subjects of relationship between localization
under globalization

International students exchange
and transnational human network
International Students＝Transnational Human↓
Network under↓
Globalization↓↑
Transnational
International StudentsPrograms→ Exchange↑↕
Quality Assurance ← Subjects of Localization
Problemfor National Integration

Conclusion(1)◇ Factors of International students mobility
Effects of Transnational programs characterized byeconomic and political factors◇ Structure1)From cultural context to economic and politicalstrategies2)Bilateral context to multilateral context◇ Subjects
1)Quality assurance of education problem2)Making a balance with internal localization and effectsof globalization

Conclusion(2)◇New Trend of International student Flow
・Key countries for exchange.
・More active student flow within Asianregion.
◇Possibility of regional cooperation andintegration as Asian community.

Reference
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


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Universities: Historical Perspectives and Contemporary
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NISHIKAWA, Jun & Kenichiro HIRANO(2007), International
Migration and Social Change, Iwanami .
SUGIMURA, Miki(2006) ed., Higher Education Strategies ofAsian Countries in the International Education Market, Final
Report of International Research with Grant-in-Aid of MEXT.
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, “International flows of mobile
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Institute of International Education, “Atlas of Student Mobility”.