Massification of higher education and challenges for graduate employment and social mobility : East Asian experiences and sociological reflections

In the last few decades, we have witnessed a rapid expansion of higher education in Asia, resulting in the massification and marketization of higher education. Nonetheless, previous comparative research has indicated that the rapid expansion of higher education may not necessarily enhance upward social mobility but rather intensify inequality in education, especially when higher education is becoming increasingly privatized. This article critically examines how the massification of higher education has affected graduate employment and social mobility in East Asia. More specifically, this article uses sociological perspectives to discuss the major challenges resulting from the massification of higher education in East Asia, particularly reflects upon issues related to the mismatch between university education and the labour market, as well as stagnant social mobility.