Theorizing the Internationalization of Higher Education in Asia: Faculty Study Abroad Experiences on Leading Universities in Southeast Asia and Beyond

The history of Asian higher education in modern times has been defined by its close relationship with internationalization. Universities and higher education systems in many Asian countries were established in the modern era based on Western models, with study abroad programs from Asia to the West playing a major role in the modernization and development process. This historical process can also be seen through the lens of a dependency structure of knowledge, also referred to as the global center-periphery relationship. Despite this, Asian higher education has made remarkable strides in the modern era, and the way it has been internationalized— resulting especially from the study abroad experience of faculty members—has become a cornerstone of its independent development. This chapter discusses the theoretical relationship between internationalization and study abroad and the dynamic transformation process of Asian higher education toward independent development based on the results of empirical studies on the impact of faculty members’ study abroad experiences on the transformation and development of higher education in four Southeast Asian countries.