The Master of Arts in International Higher Education and Management, IHEM, hereafter) is a one-year full-time or two-year part-time programme designed for those who want to seriously study international higher education, policy and governance, as well as management and leadership issues in managing contemporary university. The IHEM Programme would appeal to those who currently, or aspire to, assume advanced management or policy-making positions in the higher education sector.

The IHEM Programme is an inter-university collaborative programme, partnering with the University of Nottingham, Ningbo China, the University of Hawaii, USA and National Chung Cheng University, Taiwan, together with the support from the Department of Marketing and International Business, Department of Sociology and Social Policy, Teaching and Learning Centre, Asia Pacific Institute of Ageing Studies and the Inter-University Research Consortium for Higher Education based at Lingnan University. The IHEM Programme consists of 30 credits, with choices for intensive courses, experiential learning tours, and conferences at our esteemed regional and international partner institutions.

The IHEM Programme will offer students truly comparative and international perspectives in understanding rapid social, economic and political changes in the context of globalization confronting contemporary universities. It creates an international platform for leading scholars in the international higher education, policy and management field to engage with students in critical analysis of coping strategies and changing university governance when contemporary universities have to deal with rapid social, economic, demographic and political transformations across different parts of the globe.

Aims of the Programme

The IHEM Programme aims to:

• Equip students with contemporary theoretical frameworks and international / comparative perspectives to examine international higher education, policy and governance related issues;
• Develop students into critical thinkers and problem solvers who could tackle issues in international higher education management with holistic considerations;
• Enable students to evaluate and inform policy debates in international higher education policy and governance;
• Build and maintain a network of regional and international scholars and students committed to the study and research of international higher education, policy and governance.

Upon successful completion of the IHEM, students will be able to:

• Explain and assess key theories and frameworks in international higher education management;
• Apply relevant theories and knowledge to tackle problems in international higher education management;
• Evaluate and inform debates on international higher education and governance;
• Design and carry out research on international higher education management, and derive recommendations accordingly.

Why study MA in IHEM

Flexible: a one-year full-time or two-year part-time programme

Professional: enable students to assume advanced management or policy-making positions in the higher education sector.

Broad-based: study international higher education, policy and governance, as well as management and leadership issues in managing contemporary university.