Globalisation and higher education studies in South Africa

Abstract

Globalisation and its impact on higher education will be discussed, while globalisation as a critical external influence on the South African higher education system in its development towards a national higher education system will also be explained. The establishment and development of higher education as a field of study are described as being critical in understanding globalisation in relation to national planning in higher education. The implementation of the ambitious National Plan for Higher Education of the Department of Education expects the unstinting commitment and scientific work of all constituencies to be successful. It is argued that reliable support of the National Plan should also be in the form of developing, establishing and implementing learning programmes of high quality in higher education studies as the basis for research into higher education. The field of higher studies is then discussed with specific reference to the position and standing of higher education studies in South Africa. Finally, critical comments and observations on higher education studies in South Africa that might lead to quality growth in the research and learning programmes of this field of study are shared.



South African Journal of Higher Education Vol.16(1) 2002: 91-98