Human Capital for a Knowledge Society Higher Education in the Maldives : An Evolving Seascape

Abstract

The Republic of Maldives, a
 middle-income country of extraordinary natural beauty, is
 one of the most advanced nations in South Asia. The Maldives
 consists of an archipelago of nearly 1,200 islands and a
 population of approximately 400,000 inhabitants; 310,000
 Maldivians and 90,000 expatriate workers. More than 25
 percent of the populations live in Male, the capital, while
 the rest are distributed among just under 200 other
 inhabited islands. The Maldives had attained a gross
 national income (GNI) per capita of USD 5,790 in 2010. This
 was the highest among countries in the South Asia region.
 The country ranked 107th in the human development index
 (HDI) for 2010, which was the second highest HDI rank in
 South Asia after Sri Lanka. The Maldives also had the second
 best position among South Asian countries, after Pakistan,
 in the doing business indicators in 2010, at 85th in the
 world. The Government of Maldives (GOM) is seeking to
 accelerate human development and economic prosperity within
 the political framework of a modern liberal democracy. The
 government's reform program to achieve this goal,
 outlined in the policy statement 'the other Maldives
 [GOM (2009a)]' contains five pillars: good governance
 to strengthen democratic institutions and processes;
 expansion and development of human capital; climate change
 and adaptation; public sector reform to streamline the
 delivery of services and improve efficiency; and
 macroeconomic reform to promote private-sector led growth.