Does Higher Education Drive R&D in Asia?

How important are Universities in creating R&D and contributing to national innovation? A recent report by the Asia Development Bank highlights the differences between countries in Emerging Asia and developed country averages. The findings: Most countries in Asia have a low Higher Education contribution relative to developed countries, suggesting that scientific research at University level […]

Workforce Projections for Asia to 2050

Stanford’s Center on Longevity provides some intriguing long-range projections for working age (16-64 year) populations in Asia through the year 2050. As the chart below indicates, the most profound “worker bulges” occur in countries of South Asia–specifically India, Pakistan, Bangladesh–as well as the Phillipines. India’s employment segment expansion alone is near 300 million people. Important […]

Asia's Brain Race II – Investment Returns and Pitfalls

By 2030 Asia will witness intensifying urbanization, rising disposable incomes, a shift to service sector training needs, millions more students studying abroad (within and outside of Asia), and extended student lifecycles focused on adult and continuing education. These trends were present first in Japan in 1970s and 80s, then the “Asian Tigers” of Korea, Hong […]

Asia’s Education Fever

Asia’s spending priorities on supplemental education are having an impact on overall consumption and investment patterns. I previously posted about where Asian households are spending their money but we are only beginning to understand the economic and personal impact. What is being sacrificed personally, and what are the trade-offs in terms of consumption in Asia? […]

MOOCs in China – Dream On?

American MOOCs (massive open online courses) have always been geared toward large emerging markets so it is no surprise that leaders such as Coursera and EdX are now hurtling into China. It seems deceptively easy: MOOCs deliver course content from US universities through free or low-cost alternatives. They partner with Chinese University counterparts or ISPs […]

Why is Chinese Productivity Crushing its Neighbors?

Chinese workers are dramatically outperforming their neighbors with important implications for Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand. (Pakistan’s stagnant productivity is not as surprising). Between 2000 and 2011, China’s output per employed person grew by approximately 280%. Vietnam’s 160% is a close second (see chart below). Is this a matter of Chinese productivity rising to higher output […]

College Grads in China: Moving Back with the Parents?

China’s 6.8 million college graduates this year are facing a difficult job market – but then again this seems to be the case almost every year. Data recently collected show only 52.5 per cent of Chinese graduates signing job contracts nationally, a drop of 7 percent year-on-year. Beijing and Guangdong were far lower, at 46 per cent […]

Turkey’s Educational Failings

Here is a quick microdata check to put some perspective on discontent in Turkey. The country is the worst education performer within the OECD, sharing that honor with Mexico. Portugal is not far behind. According to OECD research, in 2009 over 69 per cent of the 25-64 population had not finished “upper secondary education” and, even […]

The Myth of Asia's Miracle: Who's Laughing Now?

Back in the early 1990s when I began my career in Hong Kong as a research analyst, Paul Krugman attended an investment conference and set more than a few bankers’ jaws dropping when he suggested that, no, Asia’s phenomenal growth (this is even before China got rolling) was really nothing special, original or unique. If […]

Education Start-Ups in Asia: A Review

If start-ups act as lead market indicators, the latest set of education start-ups, entreprenuers, and venture capital in the Asia-Pacific region are focused squarely on mobile access, student engagment, language and social platforms. The small selection laid out below, stretching back over the past 12 months or so, provides some indication of what types of educational […]