Development of Research on Higher Education in a Comparative Perspective

Abstract

　 In many countries, higher education has only a short history. Systematic research in the field did not emerge before the late 1960’s even in the United States. In Japan there were practically no organized research centers until the beginning of 1970’s, when Research Institute for Higher Education was created at Hiroshima University. But in the 1990’s more than ten research centers at national universities and several institutes and organizations at private universities were created. A few associations concerned with higher education were also established in this period.

　 There should be many reasons why many individuals and organizations have become academically interested in higher education. Among them are : growing expectation of the government on higher education in the age of global competition : growing concerns about the quality of research and teaching ; and growths in market demands for highly-trained researchers, teachers and administrators.

　 Under the circumstances, more researchers will participate in the field with increasing degrees of specialization and sophistication in the style of analysis. While this trend may be considered as positive development for higher education research as an academic field, it should be remembered that the trend may divert attention from more fundamental question - namely “what is higher education in our contemporary society?”