The editors present this panorama of provision through a team of expert contributors who relate their experience and knowledge to shared global concerns. Thus, they combine the big picture of economic and political globalisation with examination of its various aspects, such as At the same time, in an increasingly open market there are also restrictions upon student travel and residence in many polities, and increasingly variable fees for home and international students. These pan-global themes are combined with an overview of ‘Western’ higher education, including the US, English and UK, and Australian systems of higher education contrasted with systems in different cultural contexts, such as the Middle East, Africa and South America, as well as the new giants China and India.