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This publication is part of an [Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation] APEC project, Quality in Higher Education: Identifying, Developing, and Sustaining Best Practices in the APEC Region (HRD 04/2010). The goals of the project are to identify definitions of quality and quality assurance in higher education in the APEC region, share exemplary practices and developments, identify common elements, and initiate a foundation for continued discussion about quality and sustaining quality practices in the region. As part of this project, papers from practitioners throughout the APEC region were presented at a conference in Honolulu, Hawai'i from August 4-6, 2011. The papers presented throughout these proceedings include research and analysis by practitioners and scholars throughout the APEC region that describe quality assurance activities, and examine case studies and best practices.

Abstract from publisher's website.

Papers in this volume include: Trends in quality assurance in the broader Asia-Pacific region: potential for a regional strategy? / Antony Stella; Quality assurance: internal and external approaches / John N. Hawkins; Understanding quality in higher education in the Andean sub-region / Mario F. Letelier, Rosario Carrasco and Claudia A. Oliva; The Canadian way of quality assurance / Alex Usher; Quality assurance and transformation of higher education: the Mexico experience / Javier de la Garza Aguilar; The phenomenon of academic ranking of world universities model: future directions / Nian Cai Liu; Rankings: help or hindrance to quality assurance?: from a perspective of Asian accrediting agencies / Angela Yung-chi Hou.

How might university rankings contribute to quality assurance endeavors? / Deane Neubauer; Enhancing quality of higher education: approaches, strategies and challenges for Hong Kong / Ka Ho Mok; Massification and quality assurance in Korean higher education: market competition and government policy / Sunwoong Kim; Russian universities in the world race to the top: what can be learned so far? / Olga Bain; Quality assurance and quality improvement of higher education institutions: Vietnam exemplar / Tran Thi Bich Lieu and Nguyen Kim Dung; Thai experience with quality assurance / Rachavarn Kanjanapanyakom; Managing quality in technical education: Brunei Darussalam's perspectives / Ashri Ahmad; The National University of Singapore's (NUS) mission to be a leading global university / Tan Eng Chye.

Evaluating third party evaluators' role in assuring global equality among premiere Japan Universities / Rie Mori; Project 985 and Project 211: the innovative measures in improving the quality of higher education in China / Zhu Yiming; Higher education in New Zealand: the rigour-relevance gap and the example of CANZ being internationally excellent by being locally relevant / Sally Davenport and Roger Wigglesworth; Globally competitive universities / Edilberto C. de Jesus; APEC quality in higher education meeting the role of the federal government in quality assurance in US higher education / Eduardo M. Ochoa; US accreditation and the influence of European quality assurance / Linda K. Johnsrud; Quality assurance and qualification recognition of higher education in APEC: status and comparison / Molly N. N. Lee; Quality assurance of cross-border higher education in China: international perspectives, national policies, and institutional practices / Zhou Nanzhao; Conference summary and reflections / Ralph A. Wolff. Show less

‘Job placement’ has been the traditional goal of labour and employment policies, but this report argues otherwise. To stay competitive in a globalised economy, governments must also strive to enhance the skills of workers, increase their productivity and provide upward mobility to immigrants and the disadvantaged. This report provides valuable insights into how labour policies can be expanded to meet economic development and social cohesion goals, while also reconciling national and local concerns. Studies from seven OECD countries are presented (Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States), each analysing attempts to expand workforce development policies and bridge the gap between national and local initiatives. Included are various types of government/private sector partnerships in the United States, regional training in France and Australia’s efforts to customise policies to local needs. Based on the country studies, the report then makes specific recommendations and suggestions on how workforce development policies can be expanded and improved.

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This study provides a basis for deepening understandings of approaches which offer effective and enhanced learning experiences for predominantly East Asian international students following provision alongside local students in UK general further education colleges. A mixed methods approach employed a largely quantitative questionnaire to access the views of 25 international students, 22 of whom were Chinese nationals, and to identify four participants (two Chinese, one Japanese and one Maldivian) for subsequent semi-structured interviews. This fieldwork was supported by the collection of college achievement data for the international students and for the local students who had studied directly alongside them.

The outcomes indicate that the international students achieved at least as well as the local students in relation to academic outcomes, and that they valued teachers who allowed their cultural experiences to directly contribute to classroom learning. The study also highlights the importance of inter-cultural activities. More prosaically, the outcomes also suggest that important concerns for these international students were that they should receive clarity in answers to their questions as part of the processes of learning, as well as the resolution of ostensibly more peripheral issues such as the quality and type of food available in the college catering outlets.

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Community Colleges and Global Counterparts have emerged over time as educational pathways for the traditionally disenfranchised often described as racial and ethnic groups, women, poor people and the undereducated. They are talked about for their role in preparing an educated citizenry for participation in their community generally and the society specifically, training the workforce for participation in a globally dependent society, and in many communities as the last opportunity for people to improve their lives for a better standard of living for themselves and their families. Yet, many of these institutions are unable to meet their full potential because of underfunding, perceived low status, and inadequate staffing and leadership. To maximize their potential nationally and internationally, educational leaders, policy makers, and governments must employ sustained and measurable changes in the areas mentioned above to ensure student access, success and relevance in program offerings, policy development, and enforcement. This chapter focuses on the challenges, opportunities, and recommended strategies to elevate Community College and Counterparts to help them maximize their greater potential in form and substance that makes a difference in the world's greatest asset, people.

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Early childhood education and care (ECEC) can bring a wide range of benefits for children, parents and society at large. However, these benefits are conditional on 'quality'. Expanding access to services without attention to quality will not deliver good outcomes for children or long-term productivity benefits for society. This report for Japan is one of a series country reports that focus on quality issues. Each report tackles a specific theme that was selected by the country reviewed. These reports suggest strengths and point to areas for further reflection on current policy initiatives. Based on international literature reviews findings, the OECD has identified five levers as key policies to encourage quality in ECEC: (1) setting out quality goals and regulations; (2) designing and implementing curriculum and standards; (3) improving qualifications, training and working conditions; (4) engaging families and communities; and (5) advancing data collection, research and monitoring. Of the five policy levers, Japan has selected 'improving qualifications, training and working conditions' for its current policy focus. The contents are: Where does Japan stand regarding policy outcomes and inputs? What does research say? Where does Japan stand compared to other countries? What are the challenges and strategies? Show less

This chapter describes the historical development and current status of teaching in vocational and technical education and training (VTET) in Japan. It provides a profile of teachers and lecturers and their educational practices. The focus of the chapter is on the historical development and present situation of the teaching professions in upper secondary vocational schools and the two post-secondary vocational schools - specialised schools and colleges for the development of vocational competencies. The author covers: employment, job responsibilities, professional profiles and qualifications in VTET; training of teachers (agriculture, industrial technology, and commerce in high schools; instructor training processes at polytechnic universities); the reality of educational practice and professionalism; and reform perspectives in VTET professions.

The volume from which this chapter is taken is indexed at TD/IRD 88.428. Individual chapters are indexed from TD/TNC 94.252 to TD/TNC 94.263. Show less

This document is the final report of the third annual meeting of the directors of national institutes of educational research and development in the Asia-Pacific Region. Sponsored by the Asia-Pacific Centre of Educational Innovation for Development (ACEID), the meeting was hosted by the National Institute for Educational Research of Japan (NIER). The theme of the meeting was teachers and teacher education and development. The participants met to review relevant research in countries of the Region. Their aim was to identify common research priorities and establish a collaborative framework amongst national institutes of educational research and development as part of the Asia-Pacific Programme of Educational Innovation for Development (APEID) and to work towards addressing the issues clarified by the meeting. Chapter 1 contains introductory information; Chapter 2 comprises the summarised country papers; Chapters 3 and 4 address the two major themes of the meeting - a future research agenda for teachers and teaching, and educational research and decision-making: implications for teachers and teaching; Chapter 5 summarises the recommendations agreed on by the participants; Annex I contains a list of participants; Appendix I contains the full versions of the country papers; Appendix II presents a general paper - Strengthening the role of teachers in a changing world: issues, prospects and priorities / Rupert Maclean and Ian Birch.

The report of the second meeting held in Bangkok in December 1996 is indexed at TD/APSDIN 51.15. Show less

This paper introduces and evaluates the five employment promotion programs for single mothers enacted from 2003 in Japan. These programs are designed to grant job training to mothers (programs one and two), to help job-seekers to find a good job match more quickly (program three), to meet comprehensive needs (program four), or to motivate employers through subsidies (program five). Through this research, I found that program four excelled in terms of the coverage rate and number of job placements. Program one (grants for highly-skilled job training), however, is the only program that proved to be effective in promoting secure and well-paid jobs. Despite this, the degree of awareness and the utilization rate of the programs are quite low. The estimation results show that the probability of not knowing about the programs is especially high among mothers who work part-time, the less-educated and non-working mothers. The probability of utilizing the programs is relatively low among older mothers, the less-educated, newly single mothers and those with young children.

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Recent policy debates surrounding Japan's graduate education raise a serious skepticism in the validity of the 'research-based' or 'learning-by-doing' training approach that these institutions have uniquely established. Proponents of reform suggest drastic restructuring of the graduate programs by replacing the experience-based mentoring aspect with more systematic education that blends an array of coursework and examinations. However, whether such a coursework-based model of graduate training will successfully function without sacrificing the traditional virtue of Japanese practices is an unsubstantiated matter. Japanese graduate schools have produced scientists who have made immense contributions to the advancement of our scientific knowledge. Policy makers and academia in Japan should humbly acknowledge this fact and prudently determine what aspects of their educational content should be reformed and what should be retained. In order to do this, the merits and demerits of alternative models must be clearly understood. The objective of this study is to affirm both the strengths and weaknesses of the traditional approach that Japanese universities need to consider preserving and eliminating, in order to capitalize on their institutional heritage while also building the educational caliber of the rigorous US graduate training model into the reforming process.

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A number of countries with public higher education systems have implemented privatisation policies. In Japan, the national government introduced the National University Corporation Act (NUCA) in 2004 and changed the legal status of national universities from that of government-owned public institutions to independent administrative agencies. Its objective was to incorporate them, giving their presidents discretionary power and encouraging financial independence and autonomous administration. Applying McNay’s models of university governance, this paper tracks three stages of university governance longitudinally from 1886, when Japan’s modern higher education system was established, to reveal the historical roots of problems that the NUCA is meant to address. In addition, the effects of the NUCA over the first six-year period (2004-2009) are examined based on data analysis. Its criteria for analysis are developments in the direction of financial, administrative and intellectual independence, accompanied by increased levels of transparency and public accountability.

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