The Asian Universities Alliance (AUA) was established in April 2017 by fifteen representative universities in Asia. This publication, the first of the AUA annual series entitled Asian Higher Education Outlook (AHEO), is dedicated to the faculty, administrators, and students who have been instrumental in the development of higher education in Asia. AHEO is a public report designed to articulate the development of higher education in Asia and showcase experiences and best practices of AUA members. The 2018 AHEO Report explores the nature of the creation and direction of the AUA. It offers a preliminary analysis of the key themes in the landscape of Asian higher education development in recent years. The themes encompass massification of teaching, internationalization, local-to-global engagement, innovation and entrepreneurship, and development in higher education studies.

VII_x000D_

Contents_x000D_

Foreword I_x000D_

About the Authors II_x000D_

Asian Higher Education Outlook 2018 Research Team and Support Team IV_x000D_

Acknowledgements V_x000D_

List of Figures and Exhibits IX_x000D_

Abbreviations XII_x000D_

Executive Summary XIII_x000D_

Summary of the Key Information and Messages in the Chapters XIV_x000D_

Major Conclusions and Recommendations XXIV_x000D_

Chapter 1 Key Trends Shaping Asian Higher Education 001_x000D_

1.1 Introduction and Overview 002_x000D_

1.2 Key Trends Shaping Asian Higher Education 003_x000D_

Concluding Remarks 019_x000D_

Chapter 2 Nature and Position of AUA Universities in the Global Context 021_x000D_

2.1 Shared Mission and Extended Networks of AUA Universities 022_x000D_

2.2 Academic Excellence of AUA Universities 025_x000D_

2.3 Academic Excellence by Discipline and Subject 026_x000D_

2.4 Characteristics of Co-authored Publications of AUA Universities 031_x000D_

2.5 The Impact of Co-authored Publications of AUA Universities 035_x000D_

2.6 Innovation 039_x000D_

Concluding Remarks 040_x000D_

Chapter 3 Nature and Position of the AUA Members 041_x000D_

3.1 Introduction 042_x000D_

3.2 Asian Universities Alliance 043_x000D_

3.3 The Role of Higher Education 051_x000D_

Concluding Remarks 053_x000D_

Chapter 4 Providing Access to and Ensuring Excellence in Asian Higher Education 055_x000D_

4.1 Increasing Access through Transnational Education in Asia 056_x000D_

4.2 International Branch Campuses in Asia 058_x000D_

4.3 International Education Hubs in Asia 060_x000D_

4.4 Dissolving Borders through Quality Assurance and Recognition of_x000D_

Qualification in Asian Higher Education 063_x000D_

Concluding Remarks 067_x000D_

VIII_x000D_

Asian Higher Education Outlook 2018_x000D_

Chapter 5 Identifying Alignment in Asian Higher Education with the Needs of_x000D_

Government and Society 069_x000D_

5.1 Building a National Ecosystem between Academia, Government and Society 070_x000D_

5.2 The Social Role of a University 072_x000D_

5.3 The Cultural Role of a University 074_x000D_

5.4 Global Engagement 077_x000D_

Concluding Remarks 080_x000D_

Chapter 6 Entrepreneurship in Asian Higher Education 081_x000D_

6.1 Introduction 082_x000D_

6.2 Case Study: National University of Singapore 083_x000D_

6.3 Case Study: Tsinghua University 085_x000D_

Concluding Remarks 090_x000D_

Chapter 7 Strengthening the Scholarship in Asian Higher Education Studies 093_x000D_

7.1 Introduction 094_x000D_

7.2 Origins of Publications 095_x000D_

7.3 Main Areas of Research in Asian Higher Education Studies 097_x000D_

7.4 Research in World-Class Universities in Asia 099_x000D_

7.5 Research in the University and City 100_x000D_

7.6 Enhancing Data Intelligence in Higher Education Studies 101_x000D_

Concluding Remarks 102_x000D_

Chapter 8 Ensuring the Whole Is Greater than the Sum of Its Parts in the Asian_x000D_

Universities Alliance 105_x000D_

8.1 Institutional Goals and Priorities in 2027 106_x000D_

8.2 The Idea of Internationalization 109_x000D_

8.3 Expected Contribution of the AUA to Members 110_x000D_

8.4 Expected Contribution of AUA to the World 111_x000D_

8.5 Measuring the Development of AUA in 2020 112_x000D_

Concluding Remarks 113_x000D_

Chapter 9 Conclusions and Recommendations 117_x000D_

Research: Promoting AUA Co-authorship in Academic Publications 118_x000D_

Education: Developing an AUA Quality Assurance Code in Student Mobility Programs 119_x000D_

Public Engagement: Promoting an Active Public Relations Campaign for AUA 119_x000D_

Public Engagement: Ensuring Active AUA Policy Consultation and_x000D_

Communication on Global Issues 120_x000D_

AUA Development: Deploying a Big Data Approach to AUA Activities and Relations 120_x000D_

Concluding Remarks 121_x000D_

Appendix AUA Joint Statement on 29 April 2017 123