"Teaching, Tenure, and Collegiality" espouses the concept of relationality--the idea that people's activities necessarily emerge through contextual engagement with others--as an alternative to the "publish or perish" ethos in higher education. Building on research by comparative philosophers, Mary K. Chang constructs a concept…

The purpose of this study is to explore education fever and credentialism in South Korea from the perspective of higher education. To discuss the study logically, three research questions are stated. First, what is the concept of Korean education fever from cultural perspective? Second, what and how has been developed educational credentialism in…

This study focuses on the (in)equality of higher education in mainland China by exploring whether students from elite families in culturally/educationally and economically more developed regions have significant advantages in accessing (elite) higher education institutions. It considers how regional features related to educational resources and…

Assessment for Learning (AfL) describes the powerful role assessment plays in shaping how and what students learn. AfL is associated with formative assessment and is placed in contrast to the summative role of certification. This article, however, focuses on AfL in Confucian-influenced cultures and finds that this summative/formative binary does…

Higher education has long established primary importance to the formation of students, manifest in ideas such as Confucian "xiushen" (self-cultivation) and "Bildung." However, despite the shared focus on the idea of humans becoming humans, "xiushen" and "Bildung" are built on divergent philosophical…

Students as partners (SaP) is gaining attention in higher education (HE) as universities worldwide rethink pedagogical practices through a relationship-rich lens. Many studies have examined partnership practices, conceptions of learner-teacher partnerships and its application in various (mainly anglophone) contexts. However, relatively few studies…

Yinyang philosophy encompasses an essential understanding of the mechanism and laws of nature, cosmos, and human society in Chinese culture, and reaches to many other parts of Asia and around the world. The purpose of this article is to explore how yinyang philosophy can serve as a philosophical underpinning of mixed methods research (MMR). In…

Despite the reforms to improve the quality of China's higher education and to adopt certain Western leadership theories, the heroic leadership model is still dominant in Chinese higher education institutions. Therefore, employing educational leadership may be complex in traditional Chinese culture. Thus, this special issue brings four articles…

Existing academic literature on higher education in China tends to promote an argument that current norms of academic freedom and the broader intellectual-state relationship can be attributed primarily to Chinese political and cultural traditions, particularly Confucian political thought, creating a false dichotomy between 'Western' liberal…

This paper empirically investigates whether Chinese language learning opportunities abroad have exerted a positive effect on international student mobility (ISM) to China. We utilize both official and self-compiled panel data for 182 countries, spanning a period of 15 years. We use the establishment of Confucius Institutes as an indicator of…

This book examines what a scholar looks and feels like in contemporary times. It suggests that scholars are more than people employed as academics and discusses how different world ideologies, cultures and systems view their scholars and how they might be considered in the changing and challenging nature of higher education. The book includes…

The purpose of this study is to explore whether happiness is the ultimate goal of higher education. In order to discuss this article systematically, four research questions are addressed. First, what are the concepts and principles of happiness in terms of religion and philosophy? Second, what are significant factors of happiness? Third, what are…

This article discusses whether social success is the ultimate goal of higher education from a cross cultural approach. To review this study logically, three research questions are addressed. First, what are the concepts of success and social success? Second, for whom and what is social success? Last, is social success indeed the ultimate goal in…

Since the 19th century, Chinese societies, as latecomers to modernization, have prioritized Western learning. Modelled on European and North American experiences, modern universities were created to serve this purpose. Having little linkage to their indigenous cultural traditions, they operate in Confucian socio-cultural contexts, with constant…

Higher education institutions (HEIs) in the context of neoliberal globalization currently face fierce competition and enormous financial burdens. To address financial distress and generate revenue, more and more HEIs embrace market-like strategies to attract international students, extending academic capitalism to global higher education. For…