Massive expansion of universities in Asia raises tough questions on social mobility

Universities in East and South-East Asia have experienced significant expansion in the last few decades. Enrolment in higher education in Asia has increased by over 50% in the last 10 years and by a higher percentage in countries such as China. In recent years, universities in mainland China have produced over seven million graduates a year, up from one million in 2000. This rapid expansion of higher education has brought its own problems, leading to issues over academic standards and quality of universities in mainland China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. My own new research has also highlighted strong empirical evidence suggesting that the “massification” of higher education – the extension of university education to the masses and not just an elite – has resulted in graduate unemployment and underemployment in East Asia.