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Transnational Education Crossing 'Asia' and 'the West'

Adjusted desire, transformative mediocrity and neo-colonial disguise

Le-Ha Phan author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd

Published:25th Apr '18

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Transnational Education Crossing 'Asia' and 'the West' cover

In this book, Phan Le-Ha identifies and discusses four growing self-sustained/sustaining fundamental phenomena in transnational education (TNE), namely (1) the planned, evolving and transformative mediocrity behind the endorsement of English-medium education legitimized by the interactive Asia-the West relationship; (2) the strategic employment of the terms ‘Asia/Asian’ and ‘West/Western’ by all stakeholders in their perceptions and construction of choice, quality, rigour, reliability and attractiveness of programs, courses, and locations; (3) the adjusted desire for an imagined (and often misinformed) ‘West’ among various stakeholders of transnational education; and (4) the assigned and self-realized ownership of English by otherwise normally on-the-margin groups of speakers. A focus on how these phenomena impact questions of identity and desire in TNE is a running theme.

The above phenomena are discussed against the backdrop of ‘the rise of Asia’ sentiment and how this sentiment has played out in interactions and relationships between ‘the West’ and ‘Asia’ and among Asian institutions and various entities. Phan Le-Ha’s examination of the identified phenomena in TNE has been informed by her multi-layered engagement with the dialectic of the Asia-the West relationship, her critical take on certain pro-Asia and decolonisation scholarship, and her interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach to theorise the field and the specific topic under scrutiny.

Phan Le-Ha shows that the current Asia chooses (not necessarily by force but largely by will and often with an informed and well-articulated agency) to go with the idea of the West and often desires an affiliation with the West either directly or indirectly, something that is getting more intense in the context of globalization, regionalization, and commercialization of education. The rise of Asia has made the idea of the West even more looked-for in Asia. TNE in Asia, in many ways, is the transforming and dynamic transit point, a layover that facilitates entry into a wanted destination – the West and/or the idea of the West. The West and Asia need one another more than ever in the context of the internationalization and commercialization of higher education. What’s more, the West and Asia have hardly ever been mutually exclusive but have rather been in an eventful love-and-obsession relationship with each other. This is the very dialectic proposition that Phan Le Ha takes throughout this book while paying specific attention to transnational...

"In a context where many Asian parents and students aspire to a 'Western' education, and American universities and schools are caught up in a terminal case of 'Asia-envy' - this is a timely and important work. Phan Le Ha makes it impossible for any of us to take the official marketing and spin about the value of East/West, Asia/America educational exchange at face value."Allan Luke, Queensland University of Technology, Australia

"If the academic understanding of the East-West dichotomy is complicated, Phan's work is a theoretical and philosophical relationship counselor for the issue. This book is part of a larger body of work by Phan that serves to complicate oversimplified dichotomies and clarify what seems to be overly complex layers of difference. You may not agree with all of the positions and arguments, but you will benefit from considering their merit."Christopher S. Collins, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Higher Education, Azusa Pacific University, USA


In addressing an extensive range of fundamental issues and problems surrounding transnational education, including for example English language policy and practice, and understandings and implications of ‘Asian’ versus ‘Western’ discourses, this book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the internationalisation of higher education globally.Emeritus Professor Anne Chapman, The University of Western Australia

In a context where many Asian parents and students aspire to a 'Western' education, and American universities and schools are caught up in a terminal case of 'Asia-envy' - this is a timely and important work. Phan Le Ha makes it impossible for any of us to take the official marketing and spin about the value of East/West, Asia/America educational exchange at face value.Emeritus Professor Allan Luke, Queensland University of Technology

ISBN: 9781138604605

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 453g

260 pages