Title: Historical development of higher education and quality assurance in Southeast Asia

Authors: Baboucarr Njie; Soaib bin Asimiran; Ramli bin Basri; Suhaida bte Abd. Kadir

Addresses: Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia; University of the Gambia, Brikama Campus, P.O. Box 3530, Serrekunda, The Gambia ' Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia ' Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia ' Faculty of Educational Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

Abstract: This paper reflects on the historical development of higher education and quality assurance in Southeast Asia with examples of some countries within, in broader view, while highlighting developments in Malaysia. It explains conflated and diverse models of education by visiting events in the colonial era and thrusting through the continuum to what exists today before explaining the historical underpinnings of quality assurance especially the rich and diverse models practiced by countries across the region. The narrative or comprehensive methodology chosen reveal that while activities that occurred during the colonial era played some part in influencing the current education models, the frail foundations of education left by the colonial legacy contributed to the trail of diverse models by the countries concerned. The quest for development guided by good practices has also played immeasurably into the choice of models of education being tried and most significantly investment in higher education as a springboard to national development.

Keywords: higher education development; quality assurance; QA; quality management; Southeast Asia; Malaysia; tertiary education; historical development; education models; narrative methodology; comprehensive methodology; colonial influences; colonial legacies; diversity; good practice; best practice; higher education investment; national development; management in education; educational management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMIE.2015.066348

International Journal of Management in Education, 2015 Vol.9 No.1, pp.31 - 46

Published online: 21 Jan 2015 *

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