South Asian higher education presents a landscape of rapid expansion and persistent challenges across the region:
While India hosts the world's second-largest higher education system, countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka also experience significant expansion. However, this growth hasn't uniformly translated into world-class institutions across the region.
Despite increased access, Gross Enrollment Ratios in South Asian countries generally remain low compared to global averages. Marginalized populations, including women and rural communities, continue to face significant barriers to higher education across the region.
Many South Asian countries implement forms of affirmative action to address historical deprivation. While increasing representation, the effectiveness of these policies in promoting genuine social integration remains debated across the region.
Countries like India and Pakistan are implementing standardized entrance tests for universities. While aiming to streamline admissions, concerns exist that these tests may exacerbate existing inequalities and limit diversity.
Foreign universities show increased interest in South Asian higher education through collaborations and branch campuses. However, complex political and societal environments, including concerns about academic freedom, complicate these efforts in various countries.
South Asian higher education systems thus face the challenge of balancing rapid growth with equity, navigating affirmative action complexities, and engaging with the global academic community while addressing regional sociopolitical realities. Addressing these issues is crucial for the region's educational development and global competitiveness.