This book aims to promote a better understanding of the education policy choices and implementation modalities that have enabled many East Asian countries over the last 30-40 years to move from education and economic conditions similar to those of many Sub-Saharan Africa countries to attain the level of development they enjoy today.

Asian populations are among some of the fastest growing cultural groups in the US. While books on serving other target groups in libraries have been published (e.g., disabled, Latino, seniors, etc.), few books on serving library users of Asian heritage have been written. Thus the timely need for this book. Rather than a generalized overview of Asians as a whole, this book has 24 separate chapters—each on 24 specific Asian countries/cultures of East, Southeast, and South Asia—with a wealth of resources for understanding, interacting with, outreaching to, and serving library users of each culture. Resources include cultural guides (both print and online), language helps (with sample library vocabulary), Asian booksellers, nationwide cultural groups, professional literature, and more. Resources and suggestions are given for all three types of libraries—public, school, and academic—making this book valuable for all librarians. The demographics of each Asian culture (numbers and distribution)—plus history of immigration and international student enrollment—is also featured. As a bonus, each chapter spotlights a US public, school, and academic library providing model outreach to Asian library users. Additionally, this book provides a detailed description and analysis of libraries in each of the 24 Asian countries. The history, development, facilities, conditions, technology, classification systems, and more—of public, school, and academic libraries—are all discussed, with detailed documentation. Country conditions influencing libraries and library use are also described: literacy levels, reading cultures, languages and writing systems, educational systems, and more. Based on the author’s 15 years of research and travels to Asia, this work is a must-have for all librarians.

Following closely behind the global pandemic’s recent forced challenges to schools and teachers, Xu gives an overview of how educational researchers and schools in Asia respond to challenges in times of change. Her research focuses on how they adjust or change curriculum policy and practice to find a balance between developing innovation in response to fast-changing societal needs and maintaining the existing education systems that traditionally predict success for students. In this book, curriculum innovation is documented in three themes: 21st-century skills and competency-based curriculum, technology-supported curriculum and equity in curriculum. Xu includes three types of chapters: (1) case studies that provide detailed analyses of curriculum innovation at the school or country level, (2) conceptual analyses that deepen our understanding of curriculum issues using a new lens and (3) literature reviews that provide an overview of research in particular topics. The volume will be of great interest to researchers and educators interested in the role of curriculum innovation in times of change. In particular, it focuses on the ways innovative curriculum provides opportunities for individual students to maximize their potential while also acknowledging the constraints of local education systems.

In light of the growing global economic importance of East Asia, this book analyzes and compares the extraordinary development paths and strategies of Japan, South Korea, and China. It examines both the factors that enabled these countries’ prolonged periods of high-speed economic growth, and the reasons for their subsequent “cool-downs.” In addition, the book illustrates how their development strategies served as role models for one another, and what current and future developing countries can learn from the East Asian success stories. This book will appeal to scholars and students of economics and development studies with an interest in the East Asian development model.

This book looks at various aspects of tourism education in Asian countries and the impacts of sustainable development in tourism education to the Asian student markets. It provides an insightful and authoritative account of the various issues that are shaping the higher educational world of tourism education in Asia and for its Asian students overseas, and it highlights the creative, inventive and innovative ways that educators are responding to these issues. The book is composed of contributions from specialists in the field and is international in scope. It is divided into four parts: an introduction setting the scene of tourism education and Asia; case studies of tourism education in various Asian countries; case studies of tourism education of Asian students abroad and their trans-national student experiences; and broader perspectives on intra-Asian and transnational tourism education. The book provides a systematic guide to the current state of knowledge on tourism education and Asia and its future direction, and is essential reading for students, researchers, educational practitioners, and academics in Tourism Studies.

There has been much international effort to improve or transform Vocational and Technical Education (VTE). However, the outcomes often remain elusive. VTE continues to be largely shunned by society as a sector of education for low-achievers and academic failures.A Breakthrough in VTE: The Singapore Story shares the Singapore experience that was made possible through strategic planning, organisational excellence, innovation and ingenuity. It is a compelling story of how the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) began to transform lives and change its image over a period of fifteen years (1992-2007). This book, based on a first-hand CEO account, vividly captures the sort of leadership, policy choices, fundamental principles and capabilities in the journey of transformation. The details of the 'what, when, how and why' are a valuable guide for leaders and practitioners in building quality and sustainable VTE systems which are responsive to social and economic needs.

Education in South-East Asia is a comprehensive critical reference guide to education in South East Asia. With chapters written by an international team of leading regional education experts, the book explores the education systems of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. The diverse range and forms of culture, religion and politics embedded in the region are exhibited in the distinctive education systems that inter-relate in one of the most integrated regions in the world. Including a comparative introduction to the issues facing education in the region as a whole and guides to available online datasets, this Handbook will be an essential reference for researchers, scholars, international agencies and policy-makers at all levels.