World Affairs: The Journal of International Issues
Year : 2014, Volume : 18, Issue : 4
First page : ( 94) Last page : ( 111)
Print ISSN : 0971-8052. Online ISSN : 0974-0937.

Foreign Direct Investment and Higher Education in India: Assessing the Link Between Internationalisation, Competition and Efficiency

Chitta Kalyanlakshmi

Online published on 2 February, 2015.

Abstract

There is an increasing trend in developing countries to reform their higher education sectors towards internationalisation. The Government of India's policy stand on foreign direct investment in higher education so far suggests it considers this a useful strategy in addressing the qualitative and quantitative deficiencies of the sector. Advocates argue that the introduction of an element of competition through the entry of foreign providers would result in greater efficiency and quality in the overall educational service provision. This paper however supported by theoretical, empirical and policy data as well as an in-depth consideration of the facts states that the competition argument does not hold in the case of education and is in fact a matter of misplaced faith. This has significant implications for the rationality of the strategy of internationalisation as a desirable policy for reforming the sector.

Top