Higher education research in the Asia-Pacific

Abstract

It is a time of tremendous growth in higher education in East and Southeast Asia. In the two decades leading up to 2013 the worldwide Gross Tertiary Education Ratio (GTER) moved from 15 to 33%. Nevertheless, the growth of Asia-Pacific regional engagement in higher education was even more impressive. By 2013 the rate of participation in colleges and universities in all East Asian nations except China was at 60% plus (UNESCO, 2015). China is almost certain to exceed the official target of 40% by 2020. The output of research science is growing with equal rapidity, in China, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. South Korea is now the world’s largest investor in R & D as a propo..