Cambodia and Malaysia are two Southeast Asian countries at dissimilar levels of socio-economic development. Their higher education systems are also on different developmental paths with varying motivations driving their respective development and progress, but the governance of higher education across these two systems has one striking similarity. Both systems see neoliberal principles and ideologies as a means to guide the development and governance of higher education, while the States, to varying degrees, still exert significant control and ‘guidance’ over the development and institutional governance. This similarity, albeit at varying degrees, can be seen through examining the issues and challenges concerning the governance of higher education in both countries such as reforms in autonomy and accountability as well as the state-university relationship. Beyond recognising this similarity, we argue the need for considering alternative paths of development for higher education in these countries, particularly alternatives that are more suitable and appropriate for the local needs and contexts in each of the two countries.

中文翻译：

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马来西亚和柬埔寨的高等教育管理：走类似的道路吗？

柬埔寨和马来西亚是两个东南亚国家，社会经济发展水平不同。他们的高等教育系统也走在不同的发展道路上，动机各不相同，从而驱动着各自的发展和进步，但是这两个系统之间的高等教育治理有着惊人的相似性。两种制度都将新自由主义的原则和意识形态视为指导高等教育发展和治理的一种手段，而各州在不同程度上仍对发展和体制治理施加重要的控制和“指导”。这种相似性，尽管程度不同，通过考察两国在高等教育管理方面的问题和挑战，例如自治和责任制改革以及州与大学之间的关系，可以看出这一点。除了认识到这种相似性，我们认为还需要考虑这些国家高等教育的替代发展路径，尤其是更适合和适合两国中每个地方需求和背景的替代方式。