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The Regional Dimension of Education Hubs: Leading and Brokering Geopolitics

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Abstract

Several education hubs have emerged in the last decade in Asia and the Middle East. These ambitious policy initiatives share a common interest in cross-border higher education even though diverse rationales underpin their development. While some claim to be an international education hub, others claim to be a regional education hub or simultaneously international and regional. Considerable rhetoric and assumptions of uniformity exist in the discourse of education hub development. This paper clarifies the regional dimension of education hubs in terms of concepts, rationales, and strategies of regional engagement. Policymakers pursue different definitions of region as they leverage higher education to gain geopolitical influence in targeted spheres. Furthermore, the distinction between the role of a regional leader and regional broker presents different opportunities for an education hub. The paper compares the development of three key education hubs in Asia: Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

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Notes

  1. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

  2. This alliance consists of seven local Singaporean HEIs: the Civil Service College, ITE Education Services, Nanyang Polytechnic, Nanyang Technological University, National University of Singapore, NTUC Learning Hub, and Singapore Management University.

  3. The other two reasons are ‘to provide people with choices in education’ and ‘to turn education into a business’ (HK23, Education Commission).

  4. Hong Kong’s Roles and Positioning in the Economic Development of the Nation (PRDBC, 2010).

  5. The National University of Singapore is an exception in that it has several offices overseas to serve its students.

  6. Chinese regulations require all foreign education providers (including Hong Kong) to partner with a local institution when setting up a branch campus. Presently, there are efforts to exempt Hong Kong from this requirement.

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  1. Graduate School of Education, Nazarbayev University, 53 Kabanbay Batyr Avenue, Astana, 010000, Kazakhstan

    Jack T Lee

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Lee, J. The Regional Dimension of Education Hubs: Leading and Brokering Geopolitics. High Educ Policy 28, 69–89 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1057/hep.2014.32

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