The state and 'field' of comparative higher education

Comparative higher education is arguably lagging behind its sister field of comparative education. It has been developed more recently, lacks in institutional structure, its intellectual debate is marginal, and its political construction is incomplete. Yet, despite the pitfalls of comparative higher education research, this article argues that higher education would benefit highly from a strong and united field of comparative studies, built around a community of comparatists. A strong comparative research field in higher education would serve incredibly well in a sector that is highly internationalised, helping develop theories and conceptualisations, as well as methodologies. It would help strengthen research and further our understanding of higher education at all levels - global, international, and local.