1 1 Kurt Larsen Principal Administrator OECD/CERI September 10-11, 2001 UNESCO, Paris Globalisation and trade in higher education: Trends and emerging issues

2 2 My presentation: 1.The international market of higher education - some figures 2.WTO negotiations on trade in educational services 3.Key policy challenges 4. OECD’s role

3 3 Trends in the international market of education

4 4 Trends in the international market of education (cont.)

million international students –43% from OECD countries and 57% from non OECD countries –Main countries of “origin”: China, Japan, Greece, Korea, Malaysia, Germany, Turkey, France, Italy, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand Trends in the international market of education (cont.) Source: OECD (2000): “Education at a Glance” b) Data on student flows 1998

6 6 WTO negotiations on trade in educational services So far, only two proposals on trade in educational services from the US and New Zealand have been submitted to the WTO 49 countries have made commitments to liberalisation in education services under WTO General agreement that liberalisation proposals will be confined to trade in higher education services, adult education and training

7 7 WTO negotiations on trade in educational services Several meetings at the WTO on trade in services are scheduled over the coming year Further multiliberal liberalisation of trade in higher education services is probably some way off But, unilateral, bilateral and regional initiatives are taken to expand the higher education market And, trade via cross-border e-learning, cross-border partnerships and campuses etc. is expanding rapidly

8 8 Key policy challenges Absence of agreed international quality framework –Consensus to increase transparency of the quality framework by all –But by who?: institutions, national org., international org. –International quality framework for higher education still a long way off Trade in higher education and an international quality framework goes hand in hand –little transparency  less trade –more trade  pressure for higher transparency –increasing transparency through growing globalisation of professions (accounting, architects, ICT) –cross-border e-learning

9 9 Key policy challenges How can the demand for higher education be met in developing countries? –Some would say only by further liberalisation less costly anglo-saxon dominance –others would say by raising national capacities more costly preserve own culture Intellectual property rights of learning material –balance between free and restricted access to learning materials

10 OECD’s Role Mandate from OECD Education Ministers to analyse the development of “trade in education services” Mapping “what is going on”? Broker role: bringing the education sector “up to speed” Establishing an OECD Forum on “Trends and issues in trade in education services” with the four stakeholders (universities, private sector, governments, students)