CEFContemporary Education Frontiers3029-18793029-1860WHIOCE PUBLISHING PTE. LTD.10.18063/CEF.v4i2.1601ArticleFaculty Resource Allocation in Public Higher Education of the Global South: Challenges and Optimization Strategies of Rural Universities in South Asiahttps://artdesignp.com/journal/CEF/4/2/10.18063/CEF.v4i2.1601CaoTingyu2026422026-02-26Faculty resources are the core of high-quality higher education development, and their equitable allocation is a key to realizing inclusive education in the Global South. This study takes rural public universities in three typical South Asian countries (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan) as research objects, adopts literature research, comparative analysis and critical analysis methods to explore the practical predicaments of faculty resource allocation in regional rural public higher education. The results show that rural public universities in South Asia face four interlocking challenges: severe shortage of qualified full-time faculty, serious brain drain of excellent teachers, uneven disciplinary distribution of faculty resources, and insufficient professional development support for teachers. From a critical perspective, these predicaments are not simply caused by resource scarcity, but are the concrete manifestation of social inequality reproduction in the higher education field, rooted in colonial education legacies, urban-biased policy orientation, inadequate public funding, and marginalized social identity of rural higher education. Based on the actual development of rural higher education in South Asia, this study puts forward targeted optimization strategies: constructing an equity-oriented faculty resource allocation mechanism, improving the faculty incentive and retention system, strengthening professional development support for rural university teachers, and promoting resource sharing through urban-rural university collaboration. This research provides practical references for the equitable allocation of faculty resources in rural public higher education in the Global South and the high-quality development of rural higher education.Faculty Resource Allocation, Rural Public Higher Education, Global South, South Asia, Educational Equity, Rural Higher Education Development

[1] World Bank, 2023, South Asia Development Update: Rural Revitalization for Inclusive Growth. World Bank Group. [2] Singh R, Kaur S, 2023, Faculty resource allocation in rural public higher education of India: Dilemmas and solutions. Indian Journal of Higher Education, 14(3): 29-46. [3] Aziz M, Sharif N, 2022, Rural higher education in Bangladesh: Faculty shortage and its impact on teaching quality. Bangladesh Journal of Educational Research, 35(1): 78-95. [4] Altbach PG, Balán R, 2021, Higher Education in the Global South: Challenges and Opportunities. Johns Hopkins University Press. [5] Apple MW, 2019, Education and Power (4th ed.). Routledge. [6] Ali S, Khan M, 2024, Faculty resource allocation in rural public universities of Pakistan: Current situation and challenges. Pakistan Journal of Education, 39(2): 45-62.