New demands not only provide further evidence of its perceived value, but also put in relief gaps in provision and weaknesses in performance. The costs of those gaps and weaknesses are growing, for individual learners and for the societies and economies in which they live and work. If the challenges are common across countries, increasingly the directions to be followed reflect a convergence toward large volume, diverse, mixed funding and high output tertiary education systems. The convergence is uneven, policy approaches vary and development differs in terms of its responsiveness and efficiency. These represent targets for policy, calling for new approaches at system level and adaptation at institution and programme levels.
Programmes leading to advanced research qualifications come at a second stage of tertiary education.
Tertiary education as a term thus envisages a range of programmes and institutions having varying missions, styles and outcomes. This is a much broader reach than most conventional coverage of programmes and learning beyond secondary education. The breadth and diversity of tertiary education comfortably place it as one stage or level in an inter-connected progression of learning beginning in the early years and extending throughout adult life, i.e. as a part of lifelong learning. The volume of participation, the breadth and diversity of its learners imply the need for greater attention to responsiveness, inclusiveness, more integrated and coherent policies, new co-operation across sectors and among providers and a diminution of rigidities. This figure is difficult to estimate due to the nature of World Bank projects.