This book investigates how the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its regulatory frameworks, specifically the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), influence national education systems in the context of global economic integration. The authors, Dale, Robertson, and Bonal, analyze the intersection of trade policy and pedagogical governance, arguing that education is increasingly treated as a tradable commodity to serve the knowledge economy. By examining the mechanisms of global governance, the text provides a critical framework for understanding how international trade agreements reshape domestic educational priorities and institutional structures.

Scholars in the field of international education policy frequently cite this work for its rigorous examination of the legal and economic pressures placed on public education systems. The text is recognized as a foundational resource for understanding the structural impact of global trade agreements on local academic governance.