GLOBAL EDUCATION:

ASIAN UNIVERSITIES’ PURSUIT TOWARDS INTERNATIONALIZATION,

The Philippine Experience

by Professor Ma. Crisanta N. Flores, Ph.D.

Director, Office of Extension Coordination
University of the Philippines
Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines 1101
[email protected]

In a world that is highly IT and consumerist, education has become a big business in a
knowledge-based economy where knowledge is considered a “weightless commodity”. There is an
unprecedented growth in the number of students wanting to pursue higher education overseas. Hence, the
fierce battle among universities to attract the market (more than 2.5 million young people study overseas).

Since English is the international lingua franca, non-English speaking institutions of learning in
Europe and Asia have revitalized their programs to include course offerings in English. French
Universities now offer a significant number of degree programs in English. In China, 175 million people
study English. Koreans come to the Philippines for Intensive English Program which is cheapest in the
region. South Korea is building 10 “English villages” like Western communities where children can learn
to communicate in English. One such example is the ‘English-only town’ soon to open on Cheju Island in
2010.

Brief Description of the Global Educational Landscape

In recent times, Asian universities in Singapore, Japan, Malaysia and India have attracted very
good students from different parts of the globe. It is no longer a monopoly of the old best universities like
Harvard, Yale, Cambridge and Oxford. To date, China is spending millions in building and improving
their universities so that their own student population need not leave their country. Malaysia expects
double the number of 100,000 foreign students it received this year by 2010. Malaysian and Thailand
universities have been prime movers of institutional restructuring in higher education with its thrust
towards corporatization. Malaysian Universities are very active in their joint-degree and/or twinning
programs with British universities making their students internationally marketable.

The US has suffered setbacks in its share of foreign students after the 9/11 incident which led to
tighter student visa restrictions. US foreign students only amounted to 17% between 2000 and 2005
compared to France’s 81% and Japans’ 108%. European universities have become less attractive to
foreign students especially from Asia because of the expensive Euro. Lately, the European Union has
been very aggressive in Asia in its promotion of universities and colleges with scholarship packages and
other enticements. Under its banner of a United Europe where everything is standardized from its banking
system, currency to a common market, the new European Higher Education Area is now also on its way
towards standardization. In the Philippines, among European countries, it is France through its French
Embassy which vigorously promotes and advertises its French universities through international
education fairs. Spain and Germany are next with scholarship packages in the graduate level.

Internationalization of Higher Education

Internationalization of Higher Education must not be confused with Global Education. Although
mutually exclusive, they work towards the same direction. Global Education can be understood in 2 ways:
it may refer to the Global Education Landscape or it may also refer to the economic aspect of education
where foreign students are considered part of the market forces. Internationalization of Higher Education
is a response to Global Education but focuses principally on academic growth of universities and
institutions rather than on its economic aspect of growth.

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 A survey conducted by the International Association of Universities listed Student and Faculty
Mobility as one of the most important component of Internationalization. Student, staff and teacher
development, academic standards and quality assurance and international research collaboration are
ranked as the 3 most important benefits of internationalization. Distance Education and the use of ICTs
are noted as the key areas for new developments.

What makes an International or Global University?

Since the most common indicator of Internationalization is the number of foreign students a
university has, there is a strong pursuit to attract foreign students as well as to forge international linkages
with (ideally) prestigious foreign universities to boost the international character of a university.
Institutions of higher education all over the world compete to attain the status of an international or global
university.

Asian Universities as International/Global Universities

While US recognizes the fierce competition against Asian Universities such as NUS, Peking
University, University of Tokyo in attracting the good, intelligent foreign students, Asian universities
should continue to improve and rethink its own model for internationalization which is still very much
informed by the Western paradigm. World Rankings is still the most influential indicator of an
internationalized/globalized university. Leaders of universities quake at any change in their ranking every
year. Asian Universities should go beyond the study of English language alone. Even if it is the
international lingua franca, we should push for the strong disciplines we have in the region such as Marine
Science studies, Digital Technology, Volcanology, and even Asian Philosophy and Arts.

The true test of a university as globalized is not only the number of foreign students a university
has but if: (1) its international programs offered are enrolled in by foreign students; (2) there are a number
of international organizations created with actual foreign membership; (3) research collaborations are
published jointly by partner universities; and (4) if these international programs are sustained through the
years.

In the survey conducted by the International Association of Universities, Asian respondents were
the only ones who were not affected by the brain drain. Surprisingly, the North American, European,
Middle Eastern and African respondents fear the effect of brain drain due to internationalization. This is a
good sign that Asians intend to return to their country of origin in spite of foreign education. Joint-degree
programs and or twinning programs also help ensure Asian students’ stay in their home universities at the
end of the program while earning international degrees.

Internationalization and the Philippine Experience

As early as 2000, the Commission on Higher Education in the Philippines issued Memorandum
Order No.1 (Policies and Guidelines in the Implementation of International Linkages and Twinning
Programs). The Memorandum supports strongly international linkages as well as networking and
consortium agreements. It also fully supports the institutional membership to prestigious foreign academic
associations and organizations.

Philippine Universities are favorite destinations of mostly Korean students wanting to learn the
English Language. According to Korean university administrators, what makes English language
instruction in the Philippines popular to them is because of the following: cheap tuition fee, low standard
of living, and Korean students do not get intimidated by the English language used by Filipino instructors
compared to the English spoken by the native white speakers.

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 Many Philippine Universities are reactive to internationalization as a bandwagon but have not fully
understood this concept and phenomenon. English as the social capital of most Philippine Universities is
seen as the principal requirement of internationalization. Philippine Universities should expand their
linkages to include not only English language training but more importantly academic exchange in the
field of science and ICT.

The oldest 2 universities in Asia are found in the Philippines. The University of San Carlos and the
University of Santo Tomas were established in the early 1600s. These two universities should teach us the
wisdom of the ages as well as their sustainability through the centuries.

The University of the Philippines

The University of the Philippines (UP) is now celebrating its Centennial Year. 100 Years ago, we
were established under the American Colonial Regime. As products of early American period, UP
graduates were sent to the US on a pensionado system in the early 20s and as Fulbirght scholars after
World War 2.

But UP has been able to shed off its colonial yoke and has produced several presidents of the
republic including current President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. In the 1980s, many UP graduates went to
Japan on a Monbusho and Hitachi scholarship especially in the field of engineering and science. During
the same decade, many also went to Australia, London, Germany to earn their Phds in the fields of
Business, Economics, and Social Sciences. In the 1990s to present, a significant number has proceeded to
France and Spain for their graduate studies. Fortunately, many of these graduates came back to UP to
serve the university as faculty members.

UP system is composed of 7 campuses and UP Diliman (UPD) is the flagship or the main campus.
To date, it has the highest number of partner universities, it being the main campus with the most
comprehensive course offerings.

UPD has 237 programs in English. Since many flock to UP for the Intensive English Program,
which is offered both by the Department of English of the College of Arts and Letters and another by the
College of Education. UPD has the Asian Center offering Japanese, Korean, Chinese Studies; the Institute
of Islamic Studies; the Department of European Languages offering courses in Spanish, French,
German/Deutz, Russian, Italian, and Portuguese, and soon, Polish language shall be offered as well.
Meanwhile, the Department of Linguistics is offering language courses in Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa
Malay, Korean and Nihongo. The MA degree program in International Studies is offered by the
Department of Political Science of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, while the Center for
International Studies offers Special Topics on Global Studies for graduate students.

UPD has multicultural student bodies, international student organizations or clubs. We have the
following international student organizations: UP-Tomo Kai, UP Arirang, Le Club Francais, International
Club of UP, HPAIR, Euro, Criculo-Hispanico, Piccola Italia, Deutscher Verein, etc.

Recommendations: Policies, Activities to Promote Internationalization of Higher Education

With all the concepts and concerns discussed, here are some recommendations:

1. UP should not sit on its laurels, it being recognized as the best university in the
Philippines. It should take seriously surveys or ranking of Universities in Asia and in the
World because internationally minded-students always refer to these surveys when they
choose to study overseas.
2. While world rankings or surveys is good (Webometrics, Times, Newsweek, etc.) because
it improves universities, it must not allow competition however to override the benefits

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 of real cooperation and partnership based on research and academic exchange, especially
among Asian universities.
3. Asian universities and UP should vigorously pursue new ways of linkages such as
twinning programs or joint degree that will redound to the mutual benefit of partner
universities.
4. Asian universities and UP should be aggressive in promoting and advertising its strong
course offerings and international programs in the global education market not only for
profit but more so, for its pursuit towards internationalization of its higher education.

In summary, what we, in UP Diliman can offer to prospective foreign students in Asia and
elsewhere, are the following: (1) it is a comprehensive university with many centers of excellence and
having 237 programs offered in English; (2) it has international programs, centers and multicultural
student bodies; (3) most importantly, the tuition fee is cheap; (4) the standard of living in the Philippines
is very low; and (5) people from almost all walks of life in the Philippines understand English.

Focusing on our strengths in the Asian region, academic and economic, Asian universities will
continue building on its strong foundation in this era of globalization and internationalization.

XXX

Sources:

Articles

“Global Educational Race,” Newsweek, August 20 & 27, 2007, Vol. CL No.
8/9.

Knight, Jane. Internationalization of Higher Education Practices and Priorities: 2003 IAU
Survey Report. France: International Association of Universities, 2003.
http://www.unesco.org/iau/internationalization/pdf/Internationalisation-en.pdf

Mok, Ka Ho. “Questing for Internationalization of Universities in Asia: Critical Reflections,”

Journal of Studies in International Education, 2007, Vol. 11, No. 3-4, 433-454
(http://www.jsi.sagepub.com).

Yamauchi, Naoto. “Japan should Take a Leadership Role in Globalizing Asian Universities,”
Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry, Column 0166.
http://www.rieti.go.jp/en/columns/a01_0219.html

Guidebooks/ Bulletins
Chulalongkorn University, 2006.
National University of Singapore, 2006-2007.
Seoul National University, 2006.
Tokyo University, 2006.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 2007.
University of Indonesia, 2006.

Website
http://www.ched.gov.ph
http://www.webometrics.info

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 ASIAN U NIVERSITIES’ GLOBAL EDUCATION:
PURSUIT TOWARDS ASIAN UNIVERSITIES’ PURSUIT
TOWARDS
INTERNATIONALIZATION,
INTERNATIONALIZATION,
The Philippine Experience The Philippine Experience
by Professor Ma. Crisanta N. Flores, Ph.D.,
Director of Office of Extension Coordination
University of the Philippines
Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines 1101
[email protected]

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There is an unprecedented
growth in the number of
students wanting to pursue
higher education overseas.
Hence, the fierce battle
In a world that is highly IT and among universities to attract
consumerist, education has the market. More than 2.5
become a big business in a million young people study
Knowledge-based economy overseas.
where knowledge is considered a
(Newsweek Aug 07)
“weightless commodity”.
 Since English is the
international lingua
franca, non-English Brief Description
speaking institutions of
learning in Europe and o f th e Gl o b a l
Asia have revitalized their
programs to include Ed u c a t i o n a l
course offerings in English.
Landscape

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The US has suffered
In recent times, Asian setbacks in its share of
foreign students after the
universities in 9/11 incident which led to
Singapore, Japan, tighter student visa
Malaysia and India restrictions. US foreign
have attracted very students only amounted
to 17% between 2000 and
good students from 2005 compared to
different parts of the France’s 81% and
globe. Japans’ 108%.
 European universities have become less Under its banner of a United
attractive to foreign students especially Europe where everything
from Asia because of the expensive
Euro. Lately, the European Union has is standardized from its
been very aggressive in Asia in its banking system, currency
promotion of universities and colleges to a common market, the
with scholarship packages and other
enticements such as the ERASMUS new European Higher
(European Community Action Scheme Education Area is now
for the Mobility of University Students)
and the ERASMUS MUNDUS.
also on its way towards
standardization.

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Internationalization of Higher
Education must not be
confused with Global
Education. Although mutually
Internationalization exclusive, they work towards
of Higher Education the same direction.
 Global Education can be understood in
two ways: Internationalization of Higher
1.It may refer to the Global Education is a response to
Education Landscape or Global Education but
focuses principally on
2.It may also refer to the
academic growth of
economic aspect of education
where foreign students are universities and institutions
considered part of the market rather than on its economic
forces. aspect of growth.

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3 most important benefits of
A survey conducted by the internationalization:
International Association of
1.student, staff and teacher
Universities listed
development,
Student and Faculty Mobility 2.academic standards and quality
as one of the most important assurance and
component of 3.international research
Internationalization. collaboration
 Distance Education and the
use of ICTs are noted as the
What m akes a n
key areas for new In t e r n a t i o n a l o r
developments.
G lobal
University?

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Since the most common indicator of
Internationalization is the number Institutions of higher
of foreign students a university
has, there is a strong pursuit to
education all over the
attract foreign students as well as world compete to attain
to forge international linkages the status of an
with (ideally) prestigious foreign international or global
universities to boost the
international character of a
university.
university.
 Asian universities should
continue to improve and
rethink its own model for
A s i a n U n i v e r s i t i e s as internationalization which is
International/Global still very much informed by
Universities the Western paradigm.

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Asian Universities should go beyond
World Rankings is still the most the study of English language
influential indicator of an alone even if it is the international
internationalized/globalized lingua franca, we should push for
the strong disciplines we have in
university. Leaders of universities
the region such as Marine Science
quake at any change in their studies, Digital Technology,
ranking every year. Volcanology, and even Asian
Philosophy and Arts.
 1. Its international programs offered are
enrolled in by foreign students.
The true test of a university as 2.The number of international
globalized is not only the organizations are created with actual
foreign membership.
number of foreign students a
university has but if: 3. Research collaborations are published
jointly by partner universities; and
4. International programs are sustained
through the years.

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In the survey conducted by the
International Association of
Universities, Asian Internationalization
respondents were the only ones and the Philippine
who were not affected by the
brain drain. E xperience
 As early as 2000, the Commission
on Higher Education in the
Philippines issued Philippine Universities are
Memorandum Order No.1 favorite destination of mostly
(Policies and Guidelines in the Korean students wanting to
Implementation of learn the English Language.
International Linkages and
Twinning Programs).

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Reasons why English instruction in the
Philippines is popular among Koreans
1. cheap tuition fee Many Philippine Universities
2. low standard of living
are reactive to
internationalization as a
3. Korean students do not get
intimidated by the English language
bandwagon but have not
used by Filipino instructors fully understood this
compared to the English spoken by concept and phenomenon.
the native white speakers.
 Two oldest universities in Asia
established in the Philippines:
Philippine Universities should
expand their linkages to
include not only English 1.University of San Carlos
language training but more (Cebu)
importantly academic 2. University of Santo Tomas
exchange in the field of science (Manila)
and ICT.

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University of San Carlos University of Santo Tomas
(Cebu) (Manila)
 The U niversity o f The University of the
Philippines (UP) is now
t he P h i l i p p i n e s celebrating its Centennial
Year. 100 Years ago, we were
established under the
American Colonial Regime.
As products of early American
period, UP graduates were
sent to the US on a
pensionado system in the
early 20s and as Fulbirght
scholars after World War 2.

− 228 −
UP has produced several presidents
of the republic including current
President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo. Many of these graduates
In the 1980s, many UP graduates
went to Japan on a Mombusho came back to UP to
and Hitachi scholarship especially serve the university as
in the field of engineering and
science.
faculty members.
Many also went to Australia, London,
Germany to earn their Phds in the
fields of Business, Economics,
and Social Sciences.
 UP system is composed of 7
campuses and UP Diliman
is the flagship or the main
Because of the exposure to
campus. To date, it has
foreign studies and
scholarships, the Office of the highest number of
Institutional Linkages (OIL) partner universities, it
in UP was already in place. being the main campus
with the most
comprehensive course
offerings.

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Course offerings in various UPD Course offerings in various UPD
departments and institutes: departments and institutes:
4. Department of Linguistics:
1. Asian Center : Japanese,
language courses in Bahasa
Korean, Chinese Studies
Indonesia, Bahasa Malay,
2. Institute of Islamic Studies Korean and Nihongo
3. Department of European 5. Department of Political
Languages: language courses Science: MA degree program
in Spanish, French, in International Studies;
German/Deutz, Russian,
6. Center for International
Italian, and Portuguese, and
Studies: Special Topics on
Polish language (expected
Global Studies for graduate
soon)
students.
 International student
organizations/clubs in UPD :

UPD has multicultural UP-Tomo Kai, UP Arirang,

student bodies, Le Club Francais,
international student International Club of UP,
HPAIR, Euro, Circulo-
organizations or clubs.
Hispanico, Piccola Italia,
Deutscher Verein

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International student International student
organizations/clubs in UPD : organizations/clubs in UPD :
 Philippine Universities like
UPD should take seriously
surveys or ranking of
Recommendations (Policies, Universities in Asia and in
A c t i v i t i e s to Pr o m o t e the World because
Internationalization of internationally minded-
Higher Education) students always refer to
these surveys when they
choose to study overseas.

− 231 −
But while world rankings or surveys Asian universities and UP
is good because it improves should vigorously pursue
universities, it must not allow new ways of linkages
competition however to override such as twinning
the benefits of real cooperation programs or joint degree
and partnership based on research programs that will
and academic exchange, especially redound to the mutual
among Asian universities. benefit of partner
universities.
 UPD should be aggressive in
promoting and advertising In summary, UP Diliman
itself in the global education has a comparative
market not only for profit advantage in capturing
but more so, for its pursuit international students
towards internationalization because of the following
of its higher education. reasons:

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 3. 4.
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tuition�fee�is�cheap�
compared�to�other�private�
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5.� Focusing on our strengths in
the Asian region,
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 GLOBAL EDUCATION:
ASIAN UNIVERSITIES’ PURSUIT
TOWARDS
INTERNATIONALIZATION,
The Philippine Experience
by Professor Ma. Crisanta N. Flores, Ph.D.,
Director of Office of Extension Coordination
University of the Philippines
Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines 1101
[email protected]

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