Higher Learning in an Asian Century

Educating Asians is big business. With international students contributing roughly $6.5 billion to the Canadian economy annually (greater than our lumber or coal industries), our top three sourcing countries continue to be Asian (China, India and Korea). And there is plenty of room for growth: household expenditures in many parts of Asia have tripled in the last twenty years, causing the size of the region’s middle classes to swell. What’s more, many of these middle class families consider a university education – especially from a Western institution – to be a critical step in assuring a prosperous future for their children.

But Canadian universities may face more competition in the coming years, not just from Europe, the US and Australia, but also from institutions closer to home for Asian students. According to the latest Times Higher Education University Rankings, 25 Asian universities have broken through the ranks of the top 200. Schools in Greater China (Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan) now have more universities in the top 200 than Canada. While these ranking systems are certainly subject to valid criticism due to their subjective and sometimes questionable methodologies, they nonetheless offer a glimpse into how some Asian universities are measuring-up on the world stage.

Given Asia’s astounding economic boom, it should come as no surprise that Asian institutions are on the rise, with many advanced industrialized jurisdictions (Hong Kong and Singapore specifically) fiercely competing to become Asia’s premier knowledge-based economy. While Hong Kong brands itself as ‘Asia’s World City’ to attract top scholars, Singapore has claimed it will become “the Boston of the East” in its attempt to develop its educational infrastructure. Such initiatives are proving highly successful and include arrangements such as the recent joint venture between Yale University and the National University of Singapore (NUS). Launching in 2013, the Yale-NUS College will house roughly 100 professors and teach over 1000 undergraduates.

Moreover, the region’s governments are investing unprecedented amounts into research and development (R&D). In 2007, Korea contributed 3.21% of the country’s total GDP to R&D. Even tiny Singapore has committed itself to raising its investment in R&D to 3.5% of GDP over the next five years. By comparison, Canada contributed 1.92% of GDP on R&D initiatives in 2009. While Asia’s advanced economies continue to take a stranglehold on higher education in the region, emerging markets such as India and China are rapidly gaining ground.

India’s investment in R&D has made that country home to some of the most promising pharmaceutical firms in the world. The WHO estimates there are 137 drugs manufactured in India, compared to only five in China. Yet China’s commitment to higher education is also skyrocketing. As a result, Chinese scholars quadrupled their research output between 1995 and 2005. A recent report by the Asian Development Bank labeled China’s higher education rise as ‘dramatic,’ with enrolment in tertiary institutions among the highest in the world. In 2005, over 23 million Chinese students were enrolled in university, of which 208,000 were undertaking doctoral work. By contrast, Canada’s university enrolment is around 898,000.

So what does this all mean for Canada?

First, Asia’s educational rise is lucrative and can significantly enhance Canada’s soft-power. By positioning Canada as a global leader in higher education, our institutions can attract some of the region’s most influential youth. While many of these students will come to represent scholastic excellence, others will return to their country and take on leading political roles. Higher education can serve as a diplomatic bridge between our country and the region.

Second, establishing deeper educational linkages with Asia is critical for our knowledge based economy. Not only will Asia’s top talent continue to impact our economy; rather, this group will come to shape how Canada frames its higher learning landscape. In fact, with our public institutions competing for Asian students, it’s no surprise Simon Fraser University’s (SFU) president Andrew Petter recently stated “If we want to be seen as a leading university in Canada, we have to attract the best students”. Mr. Petter was referring to SFU’s newly minted designation as a preferred institution for Chinese graduate students.

While B.C. universities continue to position themselves as Canada’s gateway institutions to the Pacific-Rim, such initiatives should be seen as an opportunity for our country to recruit, train, and retain top talent. Yet it should also serve as an example of how Canada should be designating our own preferred institutions for graduate study in Asia (more on this in my next blog).