UNESCO's relatively high prestige across East Asia has spurred intensifying efforts by governments to use its imprimatur to legitimate official narratives of the past and visions of the future. This article focuses on China's use of UNESCO as an arena for competitive national 'branding' in the education field, especially relating to STEM and AI.…

In recent decades there has been an increasing number of parents opting for alternative forms of education worldwide. However, most studies on this phenomenon are conducted within Western contexts, while little is known about alternative education in China. This paper addresses this gap by providing an overview of alternative education in China…

Recent research has focused either on the internationalisation of China's higher education (HE) as soft power, or on soft power with 'Chinese characteristics'. There is a paucity of research combining these two foci. This paper fills this gap by: (i) unravelling the meanings and features of the 'Chinese characteristics' embodied in the policies of…

China and the US have responded to the challenges of a knowledge-based society, technological advancement, and global competition by implementing educational reforms to impart skills or competencies required of 21st century students. This study compares the rationales, content, and curricula design of both countries' key competencies frameworks…

Interpreting modernisation and globalisation in East Asia as processes of Westernisation creates confusion and discomfort among some academics from the region. To illustrate why such discomfort occurs, this article explores the changes in the higher education systems of Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China in terms of their "Chineseness"…

Since Hong Kong's retrocession, the government has endeavoured to strengthen local citizens' identification with the People's Republic of China--a project that acquired new impetus with the 2010 decision to introduce "Moral and National Education" (MNE) as a compulsory school subject. In the face of strong local opposition, this policy…

Both in China and internationally, educators and policy makers claim that vocational education and training (VET) is essential for the sound economic development of a country and the physical and social well-being of its population. However, China looks back upon a century-long history of rejection when it comes to popularising VET, despite…

China has one of the oldest educational testing systems in the world, yet its modern form was influenced by various western educational modes borrowed during the twentieth century. This essay reviews the history of the Chinese traditional educational testing system: its origin, features, and its past impact on Chinese people's lives as well as on…

In China, lifelong learning has a long history--as a way to prepare for traditional civil examinations, which opened opportunities for social mobility and, later, to train the adult workforce to meet national economic objectives. In Shanghai, adult education has recently become essential for adapting the workforce to rapid economic change, but…

Analyzes the role of higher education in China and Taiwan as an agent of both political socialization and economic modernization in the context of economic and social transformations, 1949-95. Examines how cultural traditions, a national belief system, nation building, and foreign relations help maintain a 200-year-old tension between…

In China work-study education is conceived as a way for every Chinese citizen to merge individual ambitions with the collective goals of the Chinese Revolution. Discusses the regular, full-time work-study program as it has developed in China from the 1930's to the present. (Author/RK)

Examines and compares the demographic realities in China and Vietnam and the population education strategies used in curriculum materials for population education programs in both countries. (SB)

Discusses educational development in China, examining two divergent educational systems: education for the disabled and education that promotes athleticism. Examines social and political context within which educational policy is formed and enacted. Analyzes new boundaries of educational specialization and diversification. Observes trend toward…

Despite criticism, policy of enterprise in higher education remains firmly attached to China's modernization plans, with institutions increasingly serving business and training needs. Only in dire circumstances would the Communist Party of China move back to putting self-reliance first, and slowing the introduction and application of technologies.…

Explores contributions to educational policy and practice of tensions about and aspirations for the future of Hong Kong. Examines political and economic influences on educational development during five historical periods, 1844-1997. Presents three recent case studies of connections between the "1997 factor" and educational policy,…