"Globalization and Liberalization of Higher Education Services under World Trade Law: A Study on WTO-GATS and Free Trade Agreements in the context of International Trade in Higher Education Services"

Abstract

Globalization of higher education involves cross border mobility of students, academics, programs and educational institutions, which necessitates understanding liberalization of higher education services. As knowledge is crucial to any economy the significance of liberalization, which advances access and mobility of knowledge through transnational higher education, needs to be examined and emphasized. By examining the varying degrees of liberalization of higher education services under General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) this study argues the case for strategic trade liberalization. Within this context, the thesis: a) describes and analyzes liberalization of supply of higher education services under four modes viz., cross-border, consumption abroad, commercial presence and presence of natural persons; b) recommends that FTA could be used as an alternative liberalization strategy; c) concludes that liberalization will lead to increased knowledge dissemination and knowledge production, thereby positively contributing to supply of higher education services and a nation's human resource development.