Emerging and Near Future Challenges of Higher Education in East Asia

Continuing the advances made in the later parts of the 20th century, East Asian economies and their higher education systems rapidly evolved in the first two decades of the twenty-first century. Most East Asian countries are categorized as advanced economies with developed societies; however, issues such as aging populations, debt levels, and decreasing salary premiums for education are becoming increasingly apparent. Many of the higher education systems have reached or will soon reach a peak of massification, and a new set of challenges may emerge. In addition to ongoing challenges, for example, the need to foster further equity and internationalization, this study identifies three emergent or near future challenges for policymakers and higher education institution strategists to reflect on: the need to consolidate the system in view of decreasing enrollments; the need to reform higher education institutions to cope with potentially decreasing resources and the emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and automation; and the need to realign academic research systems to ensure that the knowledge produced is more sustainable, collaborative, and meaningful.