Higher Education Services Deliberations in Mega-Regional Trade Negotiations

The unprecedented growth of trade in services over recent years reflects the composition of the contemporary knowledge economy, in which countries seek a balance between international cooperation and national competitiveness. Given the opportunity to further liberalize international trade, this paper explains the parties’ interests in educational services within the context of the TTIP, TTP, and TiSA negotiations. As private education is considered in these multilateral forums, stakeholders seek to protect trade in educational services commodification. International market access for private higher education services and mutual recognition of professional qualifications are two key areas in the ongoing negotiations that are explained in this research. This research analyzes how trade in higher education services may be addressed in ongoing negotiations, given the preexisting trade frameworks, and it draws conclusions comparing the interests of countries in Europe and Latin America, and the U.S., to participate in regional integration initiatives for higher education services.