ABSTRACT
In the early 1990s the broader scenario for higher education development in this part of the world was one of confidence and investment in education. In the mid-1990s East Asia was often hailed as a region of rapid economic growth (Naisbitt, 1996). The world trends in educational development for developing countries indicated rapid expansion of educational systems and enrolments at all levels (Singh, 1991). The Asian Economic Survey (1994) in a special report entitled Can Asia Keep it Up? noted, however, that in the longer term there were many issues of concern. These included structural changes in governments' business policies, environment policies, infrastructure developments and education.
