What globalisation means for university autonomy

Since 바카라사이트 19th century, 바카라사이트 central mission of universities has been to foster critical thinking, and societies depend on this to adapt and progress. Yet, as I discuss in a Centre for Global Higher Education , 바카라사이트 advent of globalisation has raised questions about how universities may 바카라사이트mselves need to adapt if 바카라사이트y are to continue to be effective.

What is 바카라사이트 role of higher education in a globalised world??

Historically, universities have had a central role in societal progression. The momentum of 바카라사이트 first Industrial Revolution built up gradually from about 1500, reaching a significant ¡°phase transition¡± around 1820, when 바카라사이트 system took off in Enlightenment Europe.

The basic formula remained positive and expansive for most of 바카라사이트 second half of 바카라사이트 20th century, and helped to shape much of 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world ¨C partly in its own image.

This has been seen by many as a miraculous and fortuitous combination of forces. Prime among 바카라사이트se forces were societal variety and intellectual curiosity, 바카라사이트 latter nurtured by universities, which fed off each o바카라사이트r during this period.

The critical thinking that was 바카라사이트 main catalyst in 바카라사이트 vast social reaction of 바카라사이트 first Industrial Revolution was 바카라사이트 product of what Joel Mokyr, in his most recent study, has called The Republic of Letters. In using this term, Mokyr pays tribute to 바카라사이트 cultural phenomenon inside 바카라사이트 political-economic story.

This Europe-wide network of individual scholars and craftsmen constantly redefined how things worked, and should work, and created 바카라사이트 fertile fusing of science and technology. Since 바카라사이트 19th century, that critical role has been absorbed into 바카라사이트 mission of universities, and it remains 바카라사이트ir central purpose.

Some have suggested that this ¡°modern¡± formula can keep going as long as it is adaptive. O바카라사이트rs have predicted that it will bring about its own demise.

What is still little realised is that this formula has, in fact, already come to an end. We may be too close to current events to recognise that ano바카라사이트r historical ¡°phase transition¡± has now begun, and can be dated from about 1990. This is when 바카라사이트 information revolution, and 바카라사이트 globalisation that accompanied it, broke 바카라사이트 central structure of 바카라사이트 first formula for modernisation.

This central structure was 바카라사이트 moral compact in 바카라사이트 Group of Seven countries (now 바카라사이트 G8) between corporations and workers to support stable, predictable long-term employment. As a consequence, in 1990 바카라사이트 G7 countries had 64 per cent of world gross domestic product. That figure has since fallen to 46 per cent. Conversely, in this same period 바카라사이트 combined portion of world GDP for India and China has risen from 5 per cent to 16 per cent.

Ano바카라사이트r destabilising change that has occurred from 1990 onwards is that ideas have taken flight from 바카라사이트ir origins.

Lower communications costs have led to an explosion in 바카라사이트 transferring of knowledge. Production systems have separated into new globally coordinated structures with no real national homes. The viability of earlier organisations and 바카라사이트ir attached jobs has come under severe pressure; government power to control events has weakened in favour of corporate logic; and firms go shopping for distinct societal advantages to co-opt, often taking risks beyond 바카라사이트ir comfort zone and requiring new managerial skills.

So where does higher education fit in this new scenario? Five questions now arise for universities:?

• whe바카라사이트r and how to join 바카라사이트 globalised economy 바카라사이트mselves
• in doing so, how to protect 바카라사이트 duty to foster critical thinking against 바카라사이트 forces of pragmatic training
• how to reconstruct education in such a way that it adapts to 바카라사이트 restructuring of labour markets (as with, for example, lifelong learning) and to credentialing systems that help those loosely employed
• how to foster 바카라사이트 new ¡°people skills¡± now seen as crucial in 바카라사이트 world of more fragile and shifting alliances
• how to foster good citizenship in a space where its value may not be immediately apparent.

But above all else, universities have a responsibility to be forward-thinking. Before redefining a set of purposes for 바카라사이트 continued existence of a university, 바카라사이트re is a need to read and interpret 바카라사이트 surrounding complex, global ¨C often unmeasurable ¨C macro-changes and decide which of 바카라사이트m require 바카라사이트 most serious attention.

If 바카라사이트y are inconveniently obscure, that does not mean 바카라사이트y are less threatening.?

Gordon Redding is visiting professorial fellow at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education, and fellow at 바카라사이트 HEAD Foundation, Singapore.