6
some of which are internationally recognised, such as the Research Institute for
Higher Education at Hiroshima University in Japan (established in 1970) and the
Research Center of Higher Education Development at Xiamen University in China
(established in 1978). Additionally, supranational organisations such as the OECD,
UNESCO and the World Bank have continuously contributed to higher education
research. Such international organisations in Asia have also contributed by collect-
ing data broadly and conducting a large proportion of the major higher education
research. For instance, the Asian Development Bank has published a series of higher
education research reports and releases annual statistics on the higher education sec-
tor with a focus on Asia. However, Arimoto ( 2000 ) described the institutionalisation
of higher education research in this region as still ‘underdeveloped’.
Some studies have investigated the evolution of higher education research in this
region. For instance, Chen and Hu ( 2012 ) outlined the history of higher education
research by the academic community in China and described its stages of progres-
sion as pre-discipline, discipline establishment, expansion and consolidation. They
offered a perspective on the unique Chinese context, noting that the field could not
have established itself as a proper and recognised field without the blessing of the
state. They further indicated that higher education research in China has been open
to international academic communities since the 1980s and has sought an outward-
looking perspective through international referencing. Further inquiry into higher
education research in Asia is still needed. Guided by Schwarz and Teichler’s ( 2000 )
analysis of higher education research in the European context, we can pose the same
question and consider its implications: ‘How can research on higher education
cover more successfully the broad thematic range and bring together the various
areas of expertise?’ (p. 2).
About This Book
Asian countries have similar backgrounds in the evolution of higher education
research. Their higher education systems face challenges that require active engage-
ment from researchers to permit policymakers and managers to take informed deci-
sions. Yet the higher education research community in Asia appears fragmented and
dispersed, with an inconsistent focus on research themes (Jung and Horta 2013 ) and
a heavy dependence on just a few dedicated scholars. Institutional support also varies
substantially across countries. In some, higher education research associations are
pivotal in developing the higher education community, while in others they are either
developing too slowly or mired in internal issues, in which case education adminis-
trative associations or government agencies often take the role of fostering higher
education research at the national level. In addition, the higher education community
in each country appears to be strongly affected by funding opportunities and the dis-
ciplinary background of its researchers. For an interdisciplinary field such as higher
education research, the disciplinary organisation of Asian universities – echoing simi-
lar challenges elsewhere (see Ribeiro 2014 ) – appears to obstruct its development.
J. Jung et al.