Twisted roots: The Western impact on Asian higher education

Abstract

The long historical and contemporary impact of Western academic models, practices and orientations on Asian universities in such countries as India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore shaped the nature of higher education systems in these countries. The Japanese colonial impact in Korea and Taiwan is also significant and an interesting variation on the colonial theme. Several Asian countries, including Thailand, Japan and China were not formally colonized, but the mixture of influence on the academic institutions that has developed in these countries reflects considerable Western influence. Contemporary factors such as the international knowledge system, the numbers of students studying in Western nations and patterns of scientific interaction also have a major impact on the growth of universities in Asia.