He then flew to Hong Kong where he was to spend the weekend. "Hong Kong is doing well," says Patten, 62, who is happy that a free and democratic society remains nearly a decade after the country reverted to Chinese rule.

This time round, the former Hong Kong governor's mission was to promote the launch of the paperback version of his latest book "Not Quite the Diplomat", in what is now called the Special Administrative Region of mainland China.

In his latest work, which is now available in the Chinese language, Patten, who was governor of Hong Kong between 1992 and 1997, reflects on international and cultural relations across an increasingly interconnected world of politics, economics and education.

A veteran politician for the Conservative Party and its chairman in 1990, Patten says economic dynamism across Asia (especially that witnessed in China and India) has been affecting the balance of power among global leaders, especially those in the US and Europe, due to its profound political consequences.

Tackling global issues such as nuclear proliferation, North Korea, Iran and global warming now requires the active involvement of Asian giants, he notes, adding that the West should also view rapid economic growth in China and India as a boon, for it is good for everyone.

The benefits of globalisation, he says, include the opening of new markets round the world as well as rapid technological advancements. But there are also inevitable negative consequences, such as faster environmental degradation and more widespread international crime and terrorist networks.

On higher education, Patten, who was elected chancellor by graduates of Oxford, says the purpose of universities, in addition to teaching or imparting knowledge and research, now includes economic development, because education helps upgrade people's skills and create jobs. In the old days, production factors included land, capital and labour. In today's so-called knowledge-based economy, skilled labour is what counts. In other words, a nation's economic success now depends on its people's knowledge and information. For instance, India has been embracing the knowledge-based economy, thanks to its abundance of low-cost skilled workers, who thrive in the telecom, IT, computer-software and other new sectors of the economy.

On managing resources for higher education, he says, the US is now spending 2.6 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on higher education, the funding of which comes from a mix of three major sources: taxation, student fees and contributions from alumni and private donors. Taxes account for 1.2 per cent, while the rest comes from students (via generous and flexible loan programmes), businesses and former students (via university endowments).

For Europe, he says the average spending on education is about 1.1 per cent of GDP. As for the UK, universities are now asking students to pay more on education and generous loan programmes are offered to those who require financial assistance. Unlike their US counterparts, Patten says, only a few British institutes of higher education have large endowments. For instance, Oxford currently has an endowment of US$7 billion (Bt266 billion), and Cambridge is the only other British university with a large endowment.

For developing countries, he suggests that spending on education should be 1.5 to 2 per cent of GDP.

But he cautions that while education is regarded as a key driver of growth in the global economy, there is no guarantee that higher spending on education will automatically translate into a higher GDP.

Nophakhun Limsamarnphun

nop1122@yahoo.com