CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- So much talk about globalization issues nowadays overshadows a couple of other equally important current developments: the longer life span of individuals and their wish to lead a meaningful period of time as silver-haired "senior citizens."
The extraordinary revolution in the information sphere is closely linked with these trends. Things are moving so fast that many people are perhaps not aware of the most important changes. We are now entering a new chapter in education, and it would not hurt to try to summarize its main components.
In our forefathers' time, a high school certificate could open some doors to professional success. Then, a basic university degree became a precondition. Now every family's dream is to produce offspring with a Ph.D. Still, a European specialist in human resources warns even that is often not enough as "education is an ongoing, lifelong process." Following a score of related articles, seminar abstracts and analyses, especially although not exclusively in the Asia-Pacific region, I am inclined to think that a broad structural review may be in order.