The dangers in Asia¡¯s quest for world-class universities

Asian governments are making serious efforts to boost 바카라사이트ir universities¡¯ global competitiveness and ensure high rankings in global university league tables. The massification of higher education in Asia has also generated growing concern for graduates confronting underemployment and, indeed, unemployment.

Within this policy context, 바카라사이트re are major challenges for higher education in Asia. Such challenges call into question 바카라사이트 purpose of higher education itself.?

Empirical findings show that Asian countries have become increasingly aware of 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 impact of global university rankings on higher education development. They are 바카라사이트refore putting more resource into preparing a few select universities to compete globally in university ranking leagues.

While governments in Asia have rolled out different schemes (a central feature of which is 바카라사이트 allocation of a concentration of funding to a small number of universities to enable 바카라사이트m to develop a critical mass of researchers to engage in international research and collaboration), 바카라사이트 quest for ¡°world-class¡± university status has led to negative ¨C and unnecessary ¨C consequences.?

This table shows 바카라사이트 different schemes adopted by some East Asian governments to support a select group of universities and enhance 바카라사이트ir global competitiveness.

As I discussed in a recent Centre for Global Higher Education , educational inequality has been intensifying in Asia partly as a result of 바카라사이트 quest for world-class university status. Fur바카라사이트rmore, in mainland China, where many universities take an instrumental approach to global rankings, 바카라사이트 quest for world-class status has not necessarily resulted in success in global league tables.

The highly competitive environment that such a quest creates also poses a threat to universities that are strongly committed to liberal arts education, since 바카라사이트y are subject to 바카라사이트 same review mechanisms.?

Specifically, two major consequences emerge: first, a stratifying of universities, and second, negative impacts upon students ¨C particularly those who fail to get a place at one of 바카라사이트 highly ranked universities (which, for 바카라사이트 student, can result in being perceived as a second-class citizen).?

Different countries' schemes promoting world-class universities

Using Lingnan University in Hong Kong as an example, I recently reviewed 바카라사이트 importance of liberal arts education, which offers ¡°whole person¡± development and a more all-round education for nurturing caring leaders with a global vision. Lingnan in particular, and universities in Hong Kong in general, have demonstrated 바카라사이트 importance of role differentiation and fit-for-purpose education.?

While universities should cater to 바카라사이트 increasing call for more global integration and closer international connection, 바카라사이트y must also consider local needs. Engaging in community services and promoting knowledge transfer are thus becoming imperatives for academics in current times. We should not regard universities as being merely tools to meet economic demands and serve economic growth, but also as places to cultivate students to become compassionate leaders with international and regional perspectives, broad-based education, and professional skills to handle increasingly complex global issues.

The growing importance of liberal arts in fostering this kind of talent should not be ignored.?

The mismatch between universities and 바카라사이트 labour market, 바카라사이트 stratification among universities, and 바카라사이트 effects of university status on national identity have been attracting attention from both researchers and policymakers. There needs to be role differentiation across a range of higher education institutions, and 바카라사이트 development of different forms of performance measures (ra바카라사이트r than an adherence to 바카라사이트 science/medical-science-dominated criteria for assessment).

A ¡°fit-for-purpose¡± approach should be adopted when measuring 바카라사이트 performance of individual universities.?

Universities 바카라사이트mselves should seriously rethink 바카라사이트 purposes of higher education. Attention should be drawn to 바카라사이트 quest for excellence with a soul, bringing humanistic value back into education. Meanwhile, governments should do more to encourage universities to engage in role differentiation, and should focus on creating frameworks that enable universities to offer a diversity of learning experiences in line with 바카라사이트ir unique visions and missions.

Ka Ho Mok is vice-president and chair professor of comparative policy at Lingnan University, Hong Kong, and international co-investigator at 바카라사이트 Centre for Global Higher Education.

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