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The purpose of this paper is to analyze the recent evolution of the policy debate over the internationalization of Japanese higher education in times of particularly strong financial constraint, with reference also made to trends in the higher education systems of neighboring Asian countries. The authors describe the de facto formation of a regional Asia‐Pacific higher education arena through open multilateral initiatives, which continues to develop despite the lack of a developed regional policy consensus.

The present paper is based upon over a decade of investigation into the Japanese and other Asian higher education systems. Observations drawn are based on the critical analysis of regional dynamics, including changing sociopolitical, demographic, economic and technology/information‐based factors. The paper objectively interprets information gathered on Japan's investment in human resources, the research performance and international standing of its universities, as well as on and cross‐border phenomena within the Asia‐Pacific region, such as transnational academic mobility, exchange agreements and other multilateral initiatives.

The international dimension of Asia‐Pacific higher education is becoming increasingly pronounced, primarily as a result of regional multilateral initiatives. Mutual exchange and collaboration between higher education institutions and individual academics and students are widespread and developing rapidly. However, at this moment, there is neither a developed policy consensus to guide the process, nor explicit agreement as to what the “regional higher education arena” in East Asia and the Asia Pacific looks like. Increasingly complex regional dynamics now present Japanese higher education with the need to reposition its role as a distinguished global leader to one as an active member in supporting multilateral initiatives within the Asia‐Pacific region.

In providing an objective synopsis of selected policy initiatives in Japanese and Asian higher education, this paper underscores the need to re‐conceptualize higher education dynamics in the Asian region and Japan's role therein. Long‐held views of Japan as “regional leader”, of the significance of the geographic situation of any one nation, of cross‐border initiatives as planned phenomena and of the factors influencing regional collaboration in academia are reassessed. As such, this paper moves beyond traditional “polar” conceptualizations to the new reality of “multilateral” relationships, concluding with an urgent call for consensus on key policy issues.

In recent years, though a growing body of research has emerged on world-class universities (WCUs), studies in this field remain limited. The purpose of this study is to identify and describe the research gap and provide a future direction for WCU research. This paper highlights the key theoretical approaches, methods, journals, unit analyses, authors, themes, countries and papers in this field. It also outlines the antecedents and consequences of WCU status.

This study collected all research related to WCUs published from 2004 to 2020. In total, 47 studies of the 435 found on Scopus and Web-of-Science are included in the review.

The results show that though the body of WCU literature is growing, it is fragmented in terms of theoretical frameworks, methodology, countries studied and unit analyses. This study also found that national, organisational and individual factors are among the antecedents and organisational and individual consequences of WCUs.

This study investigates existing gaps in the WCU literature and identifies new research directions for future research. Further, this study scrutinises existing studies to determine how universities have used a variety of methods and theories to achieve WCU status across numerous countries and settings. Finally, this study develops an antecedents and consequences WCU framework to synthesise existing studies.

This paper aims to report the process and outcomes of a case study which introduced internal evaluation procedures into academic departments of a university in Iran. The purpose of the study was to identify what benefits could arise from using internal evaluation, and what obstacles existed to its successful introduction.

This paper reports a case study of internal evaluation within the academic departments of a university in Iran. The case study research used a range of methods to collect information on the operation of the intervention. This paper addresses the findings of a recent longitudinal research in relation to the issue of internal evaluation. A qualitative methodology was used to gain the perceptions of faculty members and department directors and reactions to the effects of the internal evaluation on their work and improvement of department quality. The methods of data collection included interviews, group discussions and workshops.

It was concluded in the study that internal evaluation processes are potentially valuable in Iranian universities but, if this value is to be realized on a continuous basis, particularly in the absence of external evaluation as an incentive, then it needs to become an integral part of each department, university, and the nationally accepted framework of quality assurance and management.

The research was only conducted in 23 academic departments where the departmental heads and members of faculty were in agreement with the pilot introduction of internal evaluation.

There are considerable implications for the changes that would be needed in management and decision‐making structures if the internal evaluation is to be fully effective.

The paper is of value because there is considerable interest in systems of internal evaluation in universities, but there are few studies in developing countries and, in particular, there is no previous research in Iran.