Constructing “world-class” as “global”: a case study of the National University of Singapore (original) (raw)
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Higher Education Policy, 2008
In order to enhance their global competitiveness, governments in Europe and Asia have started to conduct comprehensive reviews of and implement plans to restructure their higher education systems, with attempts to transform their higher education systems in the image of 'world-class' university. With strong intentions to perform well in the Global University Ranking, universities in Europe and Asia have adopted different reform measures to enhance their research performance. Central to the quest for the world-class status, we have witnessed the emerging global model (EGM) of the research university in the 21st century, a description of the top stratum of research universities worldwide. It is against this particular context that different forms of university research networks, university alliance or international research consortia have evolved to promote international collaboration aiming at higher ranking in the global university league. The principal goal of this article aims at critically examining the notions and practices of what it means to be a world-class university in the context of Europe and Asia, especially attempting to examine the impacts of the quest for the world-class status on higher education in Europe and Asia.
The Paradox of the Global University
Evaluating Education: Normative Systems and Institutional Practices, 2020
No university of ambition officially claims to be local. Touting international reach and reputation is a nearly essential feature of university strategic planning worldwide. Yet being a global university is paradoxical. Academic institutions historically are servants of particular cities, regions, and nations, and one of their essential functions has been to connect particular places with world affairs. International rankings regimes, the search for tuition revenue among schools in a few large markets, and the remarkable consistency with which nations pursue status through higher education: all of these deepen the implication of universities in the fate and future of particular locales.
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...
Becoming a World-Class University
2016
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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.
Attaining global standards in our universities
2017
With every new discovery, we enter a new realm of knowledge that quickly reveals our inadequacies and how much more we need to know. In these domains of the unknown, universities are like spaceships, venturing deep into the field of knowledge in pursuit of verstehen-understanding in a deep way. Along the way, they transform minds, hearts, and even souls of a lucky few entities-individuals, organisations, communities-who go on to make a mark for themselves and then proceed to make a difference for humanity.Universities are the changemakers of changemakers-reforming, enlightening, galvanising, and often creating entirely new worlds. With wisdom and energy (the WE factor), they are beacons that radiate light to the far reaches of human endeavours to help push the limits of our knowledge. Deep in their spirit of discovery, minds bloom, hearts throb, souls stir. That is one picture of the ideal university. The ideal university provides thought leadership, uncovers new knowledge, perfects the science of knowledge delivery, empowers stakeholders, and builds enlightened citizenry. It promotes many intrinsic values: freedom of thought, equity and social justice, ethical responsibility, teamwork, innovation, and service to society. As one university promises: "We will transform lives and improve the human condition." Where are our universities on the global-ideal scale? What is it that we ought to deliver in this new age-the fourth Industrial Revolution, the Exponential Age, the Age of Disruption? In a tumultuous world of rapid change, universities must be visionary, pulsating with ideas, imagination, and innovations aplenty. While the present indolence of the higher education sector is palpable, there are signs of new beginnings. To stay on-course and reach global standards, however, there is much work ahead.
Internationalization has been du jour in higher education circles for years, frequently mentioned in university mission statements and strategic plans, but very little thought has been given to what it actually is, leading to a nebulous notion of its outcomes. Many people use it interchangeably with "globalization," adding to the confusion. There is no truly universal definition of internationalization and this has allowed non-academic entities to become more involved in driving it forward, but away from its academic, Humanities-based core. The increasing use of technology, especially massive open online courses (MOOCs), presents a further challenge and the rising costs of providing an international experience effectively limits internationalization to a small number of students. Despite the changing higher education landscape, the university maintains an important role in developing internationalization strategies. However, in order to be successful, these universities must develop their own international pathways and rely less on what other universities and nonacademic organizations are doing.