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RESEARCH IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES:
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN AN ERA OF
GLOBALIZATION
BY
DR.HARSHA ATURUPANE
LEAD EDUCATION SPECIALIST
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT UNIT
SOUTH ASIA REGION
THE WORLD BANK
ANNUAL RESEARCH SESSIONS
FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES
UNIVERSITY OF COLOMBO
05 AUGUST, 2011
HIGHER EDUCATION ENROLMENT IN RELATION TO GDP PER CAPITA OF MIDDLE INCOME AND LOW
INCOME COUNTRIES, 2005
PERCENT
50
HIGHER EDUCATION ENROLMENT
THAILAND
45
PANAMA
40
URUGUAY
35
PHILIPPINES
MALAYSIA
30
TURKEY
25
SRI LANKA
CHINA
20
MAURITIUS
15
INDIA
10
NEPAL
PAKISTAN
BANGLADESH
5
0
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
GDP PER CAPITA
4,000
5,000
6,000
ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION
• EXPLOSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION ENROLMENT
• CONSIDERABLE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL
DIVERSIFICATION
• MULTIPLE PATHWAYS INTO HIGHER EDUCATION
• MULTIPLE PROVIDERS OF HIGHER EDUCATION
• CROSS-BORDER PROVISION
THE MODERN GLOBAL HIGHER EDUCATION LANDSCAPE
KEY CHALLENGES TO RESEARCH IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
• RESOURCES
• THE INCENTIVE FRAMEWORK
• THE VARYING STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION
INSTITUTIONS
• GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS AND
THE BRAIN DRAIN
• THE TECHNOLOGICAL DIVIDE
• THE GREAT LANGUAGE BARRIER
SRI LANKA’S INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION IS LOW.
PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE
GOVERNMENTBUDGET
30
Malaysia
25
Public Education Spending
as a % of Government Spending
Costa Rica
Thailand
20
Bolivia
Brazil
Nepal
15
South Korea
South Asia
Colombia
Bangladesh
Upper middle income
Argentina
Russia
Pakistan
10
India
Sri Lanka
5
0
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
GDP per capita (PPP)
20,000
25,000
30,000
LINKING HIGHER EDUCATION RESEARCH WITH THE ECONOMY
• UNIVERSITY – INDUSTRY LINKAGES IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
(E.G. TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION OFFICES, TECHNOLOGY
BROKER PROGRAMS, BUSINESS CENTERS)
• EMPLOYER PARTICIPATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION (E.G. CURRICULUM
DEVELOPMENT, CAREER GUIDANCE) CAN FEED BACK INTO RESEARCH
• A STRATEGIC RE-ORIENTATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN FAVOR OF
PROGRAMS IN LINE WITH ECONOMIC NEEDS
• PROMOTING THE ICT, ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND SOFT SKILLS OF STAFF
AND STUDENTS
A HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR THAT LEADS CULTURAL,
POLITICAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
• CREATING A FAVORABLE CLIMATE FOR A PEACEFUL, MULTI-ETHNIC,
MULTI-RELIGIOUS AND MULTI-CULTURAL COUNTRY
• PROMOTING PLURALISM, SOCIAL TOLERANCE, RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY
AND HIGH STANDARDS OF CIVIC CONDUCT
• GENERATING THE ENLIGHTENED CITIZENS NEEDED FOR DEMOCRATIC
SOCIETIES
 HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT REQUIRES SUSTAINED LONGTERM COMMITMENT FROM POLITICAL AUTHORITIES
 THE MEDIA NEEDS TO BE ALLIES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
 THE HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR CONTAINS THE CREAM OF A
COUNTRY’S INTELLIGENTSIA AND HAS UNIQUE POTENTIAL TO
CONTRIBUTE TO THE ECONOMIC AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT OF
A COUNTRY