In attaining economic prosperity, efficient human capital and thus higher education, has increasingly ranked among the top of priorities in the Southeast Asian countries. It is to this end that Malaysia, in particular, has been working towards a reform in its higher education system. Reform measures have greatly centred on the issues of university autonomy. This book details the careful findings of the project entitled Governance Reforms in Malaysia Higher Education with Focus on Institutional Autonomy and Its Effects of University Governance and Management. As such, readers can look forward to gaining a thorough understanding of the reform measures taken in higher education governance and the extent of their impact. Four areas of autonomy are extensively covered: institutional, financial, academic and human resource autonomy. The challenges faced in the individual areas are painstakingly dissected and presented, leading up to projections and recommendations on the way forward in Malaysian higher education governance.

This book seeks to put together the voices, the diverse positions and views of policy makers, gatekeepers and actors involved in the internationalisation of higher education institutions in Malaysia higher education system. It begins with an exploration of the literature and then examines the critical issues faced on the ground by higher education institutions in Malaysia. Issues are identified and interpreted based on a survey as well as those obtained from interviews involving stakeholders and players from various academic backgrounds, administrative positions and practitioner experiences. The findings indicated that there are diverse and contested perspectives on the aims, challenges and complexities faced in internationalisation. Broadly, there seems to be general agreement that Malaysia has fairly clear policies on the internationalisation in higher education which emphasises the mobility of students with a focus on the recruitment of international students and academic staff. Increasingly the respondents agree that there are needs to be a shift to a more holistic view of internationalisation which is system wide including internationalisation at home, enhancing research and development, and the need for greater institutional autonomy. This book characterises the complex contexts and issues around internationalisation in the Malaysia higher education system including issues around access and equity, competition and/or collaboration, import oriented and/ or domestic internationalisation. It also aims to provide a theoretical, conceptual and empirical evidence based resources for more informed evidence based policy and practice for the internationalisation of higher education systems. Keywords: Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penerbit Universiti Sains Malayia, Penerbit USM

Given the three pillars of sustainability, besides the environment, the interplay of social and economic dimensions provides valuable insight into how society is molded and the key components that should be considere. In terms of social sustainability, processes and framework objectives promote the wellbeing that is integral to the balance of people, planet, and profit. Economic practices consider the system of production, resource allocation, and distribution of goods and services with respect to demand and supply between economic agents. As a result, an economic system is a variant of the social system in which it exists. At present, the forefront of social sustainability research partially encompasses the impact of economic practices on people and society, with notable emphasis centered on the urban environment. Specific interdisciplinary analyses within the scope of sustainability, social development, competitiveness, and motivational management, as well as decision making within the urban landscape, are considered. This book contains nine thoroughly refereed contributions that interconnect detailed research into the two pillars reviewed.

In building sufficient, efficient human resources, massification of higher education is a common phenomenon. It is to this end that sustainability and inclusiveness have become such critical issues in higher education and its literature. This book looks into the major question of financial sustainability for the higher education institution, revealing the university’s struggles in the face of limited public funds. Coping strategies and feasible alternatives are extensively examined. The authors also tackle the area of higher education systems and collaboration in ensuring sustainability. Here, matters such as the public-private equilibrium, sustainable alumni networks, and research and publication competitiveness are deliberated. One distinguishing feature of this publication, however, is its discourse on higher education access, giving unique insight into the plight of certain underrepresented groups in higher education. The writers champion inclusiveness by analysing and recommending the best practices in bolstering these marginalised factions towards academic success. Readers will certainly gain a more profound understanding of sustainable and inclusive higher education. Keywords: Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penerbit Universiti Sains Malayia, Penerbit USM

The future of construction industry in a globalized, borderless, technology-driven decade is based upon a number of drivers. The book is written to provide a platform for analysis of the construction industry on some governance and economic issues deemed important and can affect the way construction industry will develop and grow in a particular country, particularly Malaysia. The reference to Malaysia may be similar to some but not all countries. The topics covered include governance, role of state and international organizations, innovations, markets and privatizations as well as sustainability. The book should be a basis for future works or research in some of the areas discussed and should provide a specific reading for students at postgraduate and undergraduate levels. Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia

The monograph ‘Sustaining APEX: Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Mission to Transform Higher Education’ seeks to expand on and elaborate themes found in the previous two monographs in our Intellectual Discourse Series. In this monograph, we also take a deeper look at the problems of values and national development as well as issues of legitimacy and the efficacy of change and transformation in conditions of complex globalization. This monograph seeks to engage the difficult issues around science and technology and values, the social legitimacy of reform, and addresses the issues of newness, reputation, ranking and the problems of leadership. In doing this, we hope to tease out more of the implications of USM’s reform agenda and locate discussions of it within a broader discourse of globalization and its vicissitudes. The essential argument made in this monograph is that USM’s transformation agenda is a direct challenge to contemporary neo-liberal project for higher education. USM’s agenda entails a fuller idea and engagement with the educational and ethical mission of the university. Ecological sustainability, scientific and technological advancement as well as the sustainability of Malaysian culture, values, and sense of social justice is central to the mission of USM. Seeking to advance these in the current conditions of globalization and ensuring continued legitimacy for this project within such an environment is the challenge ahead. Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia

This volume seeks to identify and explore the dynamics of global forces on the development of higher education in Asia, in particular, how neoliberalism has affected reforms on university governance and management in the region. It includes a set of country-specific studies on how various countries have responded to the dominant neoliberal ideology at the systemic, institutional, and process levels. The focus is on the relationship between the state and the universities, which is usually reflected in the degree of autonomy and accountability allowed in a particular higher education system. The selected countries are Cambodia, China, Indonesia, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand. Each case study examines the establishment of corporatised or autonomous universities in the country focusing on (i) the acts, reports, and/or policies that led to such a move as well as the rationales behind the move; (ii) the changes in the governance and organisational structure of the universities, highlighting the kinds of autonomy that the universities have; (iii) the new management strategies, techniques, and practices that have been introduced to the university including the internal and external quality assurance mechanisms, and (iv) some of the tensions, conflicts, and acts of resistance that may have emerged.