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

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. Trends in the international market of education

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

5. Trends in the international market of education (cont.)
b) Data on student flows 1998
Source: OECD (2000): “Education at a Glance”
1.42 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

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. 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. 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. 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)