What kind of world should we strive for in the next century? What roles will education and training play in creating such a world? With rapid technological advances and the arrival of the information age, education systems as well as labor markets have undergone tremendous changes, affecting not only curricula and teaching methodology, but also the nature of skills and competencies required of graduates and new entrants to a changing workforce in the twenty-first century. In this volume, leading scholars and practitioners unite in an effort to examine the importance of education in the development of nations in the new millennium.

This volume is unique in that it engages in cross-national and cross-cultural studies ranging from Australia to Japan, Canada and the UAE. It also explores central concepts in education such as Total Quality Management and Just-in-Time Learning and provides an economist's view of how and in what form education and training influence growth. While the models for effective education may differ, it is undeniable that education is crucial for individual development and economic growth, national production, and building a strong civil society.