Chapter 2

A Conceptual Framework for the

Regionalization of Higher Education:
Application to Asia
Jane Knight

Introduction

Increasing Emphasis on Intra-regional Cooperation

There is no question that the international dimension of higher education

has transformed the higher education landscape in the last two decades.
The more globalized and interconnected world in which we live has stim-
ulated higher education institutions (HEIs), organizations, and national
governments to pay more attention to academic relations and opportu-
nities with partners in other countries (Knight 2008). A more recent
development has been an increased focus on higher education collabora-
tion and exchange within a region. In Asia for example, the expansion
in the number of regional research and university networks, the growth
in intra-regional student mobility and institutional agreements, the new
emphasis on regional quality assurance frameworks, and the rise in joint
education programs are testimony to the growing importance of Asian
regionalization of higher education (Yavaprabhas 2010; Kuroda et al.
2011). In fact, the movement to increased intra-regional cooperation and
harmonization of national systems is occurring in all regions of the world.
The well-known Bologna Process, which aims to create a common higher

J. N. Hawkins et al. (eds.), Higher Education Regionalization in Asia Pacific

© John N. Hawkins, Ka Ho Mok, and Deane E. Neubauer 2012
18 Jane Knight

education space in Europe, has stimulated more attention being given to

the importance of both intra-regional and interregional cooperation in
higher education.

Four Lines of Inquiry

A review of academic articles and gray literature, such as policy documents,

working papers, and conference reports, reveals a vibrant debate on the
topic of regions and their importance, formation, and function. It is inter-
esting to note the different interpretations and permutations of the concept
of region. Frequently used terms include regionalism, regionalness, region-
ality, regionalization, regional integration, interregional cooperation, and
so on, to name a few. It is clear that region constitutes the root concept
and the suffixes introduce subtle and nuanced differences in meaning. For
example, the suffix “ism” relates more to an ideology or set of beliefs, “iza-
tion” focuses on the process of becoming, and “tion” reflects a condition.
An examination of these terms and how they relate to the higher education
sector leads to four lines of inquiry. These different lines of inquiry are:
(1) the impact of regionalism on higher education; (2) higher education
regionalization; (3) higher education as an instrument for regional integra-
tion; and (4) interregional cooperation in higher education.
The “impact of regionalism on higher education” focuses on how the
changing notion and increasing importance of a region is affecting higher
education. It can lead to a type of trend analysis where higher education is
seen in more of a reactive position to the increasingly significant influence
of regionalism. Higher education regionalization introduces the process of
intentionally building connections and relationships among higher educa-
tion actors and systems in a region. Regionalization attributes more of a
proactive role and “agency” to higher education. Higher education as a tool
for regional integration takes a more tactical approach to how higher edu-
cation can be used to achieve regional integration. Given the importance
of the knowledge economy, higher education is perceived as a tool for the
overall goal of regional economic integration. The question of “agency”
is again central to the discussion as the higher education sector itself may
have limited influence over what role it plays to enhance regional integra-
tion. Higher education can be seen as a means to an end where the end is
political and/or economic integration. Interregional cooperation in higher
education introduces yet another direction of inquiry that involves interac-
tions between two regions. It often means two world regions, such as Asia
and Europe, although it could also be regions of smaller scale. Interregional