Becoming a World-Class University (original) (raw)
Welcome to the World Class University: Introduction
Evaluating Education: Normative Systems and Institutional Practices
The notion of World Class Universities, and the use of rankings in general, has been an object of study for decades. Perhaps the first major critical work was Ellen Hazelkorn’s Rankings and the reshaping of higher education: The battle for world-class excellence (2011). Just as the influence of rankings shows no sign of abating, neither does the impetus to provide practical proposals for how to use them to advantage, or, alternatively, to examine the sources and effects of the practices involved. Recent interventions belonging to the first category are Downing and Ganotice’s World university rankings and the future of higher education (2017), while Stack’s Global university rankings and the mediatization of higher education (2016) and Hazelkorn’s Global rankings and the geopolitics of higher education: Understanding the influence and impact of rankingson higher education, policyand society (2016) are notable examples of the latter. The essays presented in the present volume are inte...
World Class University- Paper for Academia.edu.pdf
Policy makers in India and other developing countries are talking about creating what they called " world class " universities. When it comes to the Indian scenario, we suffer from a lack of adequate financial resources, intellectual resources and the government, which in absence of effective academic freedom, is created by an undesirable bureaucracy. It is when such fashion overhypes, and talks about creating world-class universities instead of tackling any constraints in the existing system, it becomes tricky. At the same time, it is important to appreciate the ideas of institution building and global excellence that would constitute a world-class university. There may not be a global consensus on the definition of what a " world-class university " is. One of the strongest arguments for the establishment of the world-class university is – " The ideals and aspirations of institutional excellence are not new to India. The great institutions of learning such as Nalanda, Vikramashila, Takshashila, and other institutions have made immense contributions in developing our historical legacy and civilizational heritage. We owe it to our history that this civilizational heritage that exists in India needs to be redeemed in many forms and manifestations. India is in a position to make this contribution to the world of knowledge and to promote excellence.
Developing Universities as World-Class Institutions
In recent years, international ranking of universities has become a more systemic and systematic exercise. As ranking systems mature and develop solutions and metrics; more and more institutions across Asia are gearing up towards the ranking exercise. This activity has also been accompanied by privatisation and corporatisation of universities. For institutions aiming to develop excellence with a goal-oriented, systemic, and process-driven approach, engagement with a University Ranking Exercise can be immensely fruitful. Institutions need to identify a URS that they can comfortably align with and then concentrate on evaluation indicators as suggested by the URS. This should be followed by exercises to gain international recognition. The need for improvement of documentation gets crucial at this juncture. Institutions need to develop documentation of transparent practices in all areas of administration, teaching, research, and extension activities.
Towards Establishing World-class Universities: A Conceptual Approach
Education and Health form the foundation for building a strong republic. Vibrant communities and a prosperous society are built on the foundation of a strong education system. The world is fast changing. Globalization has accelerated. There has been tremendous growth, but also deepening inequalities. New technologies are revolutionizing the way we communicate and share information, as well as how we teach and learn. The world is getting younger every day, and the expectations of young people are rising for quality education and decent jobs. Swept along with these changes, education faces new challenges of equity, quality and relevance. The survival and success of any organization depends entirely on its ability to adjust to the dynamics of the business and its working environment. Academic institutions have to transform to meet the challenges of the new millennium. In this paper the authors discuss the key issues pertaining to higher education. The focus is on achieving excellence through accreditation, continuous quality improvement, world class infrastructure, cutting edge technology, human resource management, curriculum development, assessment methods, research and above all good governance of universities. The world is changing rapidly. The mission of higher education is to have better access and excellence. Achieving Excellence challenges the education sector to transform to meet the expectations of today and build the vibrant, prosperous province of tomorrow. Management of educational institutions is becoming more and more difficult because of very fast changes in their environment. By raising expectations for what our education system can accomplish. The objectives of academic institutions should be to give each student, opportunities to improve in knowledge, know-how, wisdom, and character. Quality of education is the skill of building the abilities of assimilating the knowledge in the area of educational needs and the implementation of this knowledge to creating mechanisms allowing fulfilling expectations of customers and educational services. Achieving excellence can help uncover and develop the potential of all learners. It will reveal learner's hidden gifts and spark new passions for future careers. For improving the quality of an academic institution, commitment and knowledge of the leadership is the first step. Philosophy and a culture must be introduced in the organization based on some core values. The challenge is to prepare the students for a world that has yet to be created, for jobs yet to be invented, and for technologies yet undreamed. We need today a new big push in education and a new strategic vision of education’s central importance for human dignity and for sustainable development in every society.
International Studies of Management & Organization, 2015
This study explores the challenges of university branding and the qualities that make university branding different from commercial branding in terms of cultural issues, branding concepts and frameworks and brands architecture. The literature about branding in the university sector is described and viewed in the context of exploratory interviews with fifty five university managers. The results present the differences between university and commercial brandings as well as culture, brand concepts and brand architecture,. The study was conducted in UK universities, but similar issues in many other countries means that the results are comparable internationally. Overall, the findings presented in this research offer a valuable contribution to our understanding of the complexities of higher education branding.
Successful strategies to be learnt from world-class universities
Proceedings of the ... International Conference on Business Excellence, 2017
Throughout the present paper we want to argue the idea that higher education is strongly linked with research, innovation, and competitive advantage and thus plays a crucial role not only for the individual and societal development but also in the process of delivering the National and European Strategy, to drive forward growth. Universities are the main actors responsible to provide the highly skilled human capital that Europe needs in order to create jobs, successful businesses, and prosperity. The ambitious aim to become a world-class university has its roots not just in rational (financial) considerations, but also in the symbolic role of such universities. The rankings made the competition between the states very visible and thus, are most commonly recognized as an indicator of success due to excellence-driven policies. Within this work we bring arguments and examples about which are the most efficient strategies of world-class universities. The first section of the paper we argue the roles of universities within nowadays economic and social world. The second section of the paper highlights the conceptual issue of world-class universities, the motivation and the determinants of such a goal. Within sections three of the paper we benchmark the key factors of two main international ranking (the THES and SJTU) and we analyse the successful strategies of famous worldclass universities. According to the research conclusions and to our considerations we suggest that a valid option would be for universities to follow the international trend towards becoming a world-class university. Also an opportunity would be to develop themselves into learning organizations.
Exploring the Secret of Successful University Brands
Developing Business Strategies and Identifying Risk Factors in Modern Organizations
This chapter contributes to the topical area of higher education marketing by exploring how branding adds value to universities. The primary focus of exploring branding concepts associated with successful higher education brands in a UK context was chosen for this work with a view to later comparison with other countries such as the United States, where branding of universities has a longer practical and academic history. The concept of "successful" brands was explored through the extant literature, and the subsequent research identified constructs underpinning a successful university brand. These constructs were then tested among a larger sample of UK university stakeholders. The findings explored the variables associated with successful university brands and suggested significant relationships among these variables. A further stage involved qualitative exploration of current perceptions and practices in HE branding, designed to maintain currency and build ongoing research possibilities. Overall, the chapter offers suggestions for both academia and practice on what underpins a successful university brand, and the variables associated with these brands.