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In this study, we address the question of whether and how the internationalization of higher education, particularly its study abroad aspect, has contributed to the common good. Much of the past discussion on study abroad impact has been largely concentrated on outcomes at the personal level. Using qualitative data from the Study Abroad for Global Engagement project, this study analyzes how former study abroad participants contributed to the global common good at the levels of local, glocal, and global communities. The findings show that many chose to practice global engagement, such as civic engagement, philanthropic activities, social entrepreneurship, and voluntary simplicity, for the common good, as the result of study abroad. This article concludes with discussion of implications for research, theory, policy, and practice.

The major analytical research question addressed in this paper is: What are Thailand's strengths and weaknesses as an international education hub for students from the Asian region? The key descriptive research question is: What is the nature of the educational experience of Asian students in Thailand? The two major research methodologies of the study are mixed research methods and comparative case studies, with the use of in-depth interviews of influential experts, surveys, and an autoethnography. In terms of major findings, there has been a dramatic growth of Asian students at Thai universities during the past two decades. Thailand's major advantages relate to low costs, location, quality campus facilities, and a welcoming attitude toward outsiders, while major disadvantages are the quality of many of Thailand's international programs often related to low English language capabilities. The paper concludes by presenting a creative new architecture for thinking about Asian study abroad in Thailand.

This study explores how American study abroad participants make educational and career choices after their return, drawing on career identity development as a theoretical lens. With 37 individual interviews from the SAGE project, the findings show that study abroad participants developed their career identity, and thereby made relevant decisions regarding their education and career paths. They developed a clear understanding about themselves, their goals and interests for further education and future careers. This helped them choose the work environment that they want and believe fits best for them. In many cases, they chose internationally oriented careers. In addition, from the better understanding of themselves and experiences of the specific contexts in the destination countries, participants developed work value toward the public good and community impact. The findings suggest the importance of understanding the meaning of study abroad experiences and how learning occurs based on the relevant theory.

The major purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which multiethnic Korea and Thailand are cultural democracies. The primary conceptual framework guiding this study is the powerful but largely ignored concept of cultural democracy. Bereday's classic model of comparative research is another major theoretical and methodological framework utilized. The major methodologies used are comparative qualitative case studies, meta-synthesis, and participant-observation. Comparative national case studies are rare. A number of striking similarities between the two countries are identified. The very low fertility rates of both nations drive a critical need for guest workers and international students. Both countries in general have pursued assimilationist policies not conducive to cultural democracy. The final part of the paper offers suggestions for strengthening cultural democracy in both nations. Their long-term potential can be enhanced if both these societies recognize the 'diversity advantage' and move actively to realize the ideal of cultural democracy.

The context for this paper is the rapid globalization and international migration occurring across the globe. An insightful metaphor for this era is "the death of distance." The influx of new migrants into countries such as Korea, Japan, Thailand, and the United States presents many challenges for those societies. In Minnesota, people of Karen culture from Myanmar (Burma) are arriving daily and the state currently has over 100,000 individuals of Hmong ethnicity. With its incredibly low fertility rate (lowest among OECD countries), Korea is necessarily needing to import large numbers of workers from diverse countries of the Asia-Pacific region such as Vietnam and the Philippines which presents many challenges for Korean educators and policy-makers. In the first part of the paper as background, the different genres of people moving across national borders are carefully differentiated. Among the major groups are so-called "gastarbeiter" (guest workers) and those working in another country for a defined period, actual migrants (legal and illegal), and various kinds of refugees and/or those seeking political asylum. In this paper, the focus is on permanent migrants. In the early 1970s, Ramírez and Castañeda developed the important construct of "cultural democracy" which unfortunately was largely ignored. The US government's focus, for example, has been on fostering political, not cultural democracy with many adverse effects. The concept of "cultural democracy" is far more relevant today than when it was developed. Cultural democracy is a key theoretical construct used in this paper. Other key theoretical constructs used are social contact theory developed by Allport and subsequently researched extensively by Thomas Pettigrew; the Protean individual developed by the political scientist, psychologist Lifton; and the important construct of intercultural competency. Drawing upon these four important theoretical frameworks, a model for effectively integrating new migrants in Korea is proposed for consideration and review.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze critically the evolution of educational reform in Thailand. Three major phases are identified. The special focus of the paper is an assessment of the third reform which began with the passage of the Office of the National Education Commission (ONEC) (2002). Design/methodology/approach: The methodology for the study is mixed methods including document analysis, direct participant observation, and compilation of major statistical performance indicators from diverse sources. Findings: The success of the most recent reform has been clearly mixed. Major structural and legal changes have occurred but overall system performance remains disappointingly low, despite large Thai educational expenditures as a percent of national budget and the presence of much impressive educational leadership talent. The paper identifies what is called the "Thai educational paradox". The essence of the paradox is Thailand's failure to achieve its educational potential. The paper identifies key factors explaining the paradox. Originality/value: The paper has significant theoretical, policy, and practical implications. From a theoretical perspective, the study confirms the persistence of strong regional disparities and a lack of fiscal neutrality associated with a neoliberal model of capitalistic development. From a practical policy perspective, it is imperative for Thailand to improve the overall quality of its educational system and to reduce regional disparities. There have been numerous studies of each of Thailand's three phases of reform, but this paper's original contribution is its presentation of a historical, interdisciplinary, and integrated perspective on the evolution of educational reform and the many obstacles associated with its implementation. (Contains 3 tables.)

While considerable consensus exists regarding the importance of internationalizing postsecondary education, little is known about whether distinct forms of internationalization influence civic engagement. This study estimates the degree to which study abroad and internationalization at home (IaH) are associated with international volunteerism among undergraduate alumni at research universities in the United States (n = 93). Results from a multiple regression analysis revealed that extensive IaH--reflected by both the presence of internationalized general education and a high concentration of international students--and the institutional study abroad rate were both positively associated with international volunteerism, operationalized as participation in the Peace Corps. Limited forms of IaH were not predictive of international volunteerism. Regression models explained between 29 and 38% of the variance in international volunteerism. The findings suggest that institutions can better prepare students for the challenges of global civic engagement by increasing participation in study abroad and implementing an extensive and systematic IaH strategy.

Since its inception at Harvard in 2004, the social network, Facebook, has grown dramatically and spread across the globe. It will soon have 1 billion users and is now operative in over 75 languages. A large percentage of undergraduates are now active on Facebook. Much of the recent literature on Facebook focuses on business applications and how it can contribute to growing profits and market share. Little attention has been directed to the academic implications of Facebook. The focus of this article is to assess critically the scholarly uses and abuses of Facebook. The article draws on several theoretical frameworks such as those of Ivan Illich (conviviality of technologies), Denis Goulet (technology as a two-edged sword), and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (optimal human experience and flow). Many scholarly uses of Facebook are presented documenting its potential for enhancing academic work. That is followed by a discussion of negative aspects of the technology and potential adverse effects on humans in terms of their productivity and capabilities. If used critically and creatively, these new networks can enhance in valuable ways human, intellectual, social, and cultural capital. In a networked knowledge society, students now have extraordinary new tools to help them realize their intellectual, cultural, and social potential. (Contains 2 tables.)

This paper reports on the preliminary results of a research project "'Beyond immediate impact: Study abroad for global engagement' (SAGE)" which examines the long-term impact of study abroad on various forms of global engagement. The study employs a retrospective tracer study and mixed methods research design. Survey results from 6391 study-abroad participants reveal that study abroad has had an impact on five dimensions of global engagement (civic engagement, knowledge production, philanthropy, social entrepreneurship and voluntary simplicity) as well as on subsequent educational and career choices. Sixty-three interviews were also conducted to provide more detailed life stories about the role of study abroad on global engagement, education and career paths. Three of these case studies are presented. Data were also gathered concerning study-abroad program characteristics and participant characteristics. In future analyses, the relationships among these variables will be examined. (Contains 1 note and 3 tables.)

This study presents an analysis of the relative internationalization of 77 research universities in the United States. Institutions enrolling undergraduate students were selected from the 2003 national report, The Top American Research Universities. Data were collected from publicly available sources for 19 indicators of internationalization pertaining to student characteristics, scholar characteristics, research orientation, curricular content, and organizational support. Data were standardized, weighted by a panel of experts, and summed to yield an overall internationalization index score for each institution. Index scores were then used to rank the 77 institutions. A sensitivity analysis yielded a significant positive correlation (.97, p < .001) between the ranking based on the weighted indicators and a ranking derived from unweighted indicators. (Contains 4 tables.)

This paper provides an overview of the complex relations among history, education, political economy, and social change in Vietnam. Vietnam has a long history of education and a literate culture. The evolution of Vietnamese culture and society is characterized by both persistence and change. Social and political persistence and change have been profoundly affected by education in Vietnam. In this paper major external influences on Vietnamese education and social change are considered, including Chinese Confucian influences, French colonial influences, Soviet and US influences during the Cold War, and more contemporary international global influences as Vietnam has become part of the global economy and international regimes. The importance influence of the policy of "doi moi" (economic renovation) introduced in 1986 is seen as resulting in a major transformation in Vietnam. The paper concludes with a discussion of Vietnam's future and its goals of developing a modern economy through a priority on the development of human capital through a distinctive Vietnamese educational system, drawing eclectically and creatively on diverse external influences.

Fighting Corruption in Asia: Causes, Effects, and Remedies. Edited by John Kidd and Frank-Jurgen Richter. Singapore: World Scientific, 2003, cloth. 402 pp. Corruption has been a persisting and perennial problem [...]

Artisan Autobiography The Flight of Icarus: Artisan Autobiography in Early Modern Europe. James S. Amelgang. Stanford: Stanford UP, 1998. 497 pp. $61.00. 'James Amelgang's wide-ranging analysis of autobiographies written by […]