Higher education is one of the sectors negotiable under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (Gats), one of the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements. This paper analyzes the consequences of this liberalization. Specifically, it assesses the legal impacts of Gats obligations for the pursuance of higher education policies by WTO Members. The paper argues that despite the potential effects of Gats, the way it works can be used to nullify or mitigate its effects, in accordance with the level of liberalization sought by each Member. At the end, this paper also presents an overview of Members' positions, stressing their arguments pro and against liberalization.
WTO; Gats; Gatt; Higher Education; Liberalization