바카라 사이트 추천 World University Rankings 2019: say it ¨C we are here to help

Browse 바카라사이트 full results of 바카라사이트 World University Rankings 2019

A vice-chancellor¡¯s job is always busy, but, even by 바카라사이트 usual standards of high office at a global university, 바카라사이트 past academic year has been an eventful one for me at Cambridge. Over centuries, our university has demonstrated a remarkable ability to change with 바카라사이트 times. At 바카라사이트 moment, however, our resilience is being tested as 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s higher education sector is buffeted by gale-force winds of change.

Universities are coming to terms with 바카라사이트 creation of new government bodies, including 바카라사이트 Office for Students and UK Research and Innovation, which bring a new and expressly regulatory remit to 바카라사이트ir interaction with universities.

Political volatility is rife, which is perhaps to be expected in 바카라사이트se anxious times. More troubling for someone who has long admired UK higher education is 바카라사이트 simmering sense of hostility towards universities. The two are not unrelated.

Discontent about universities most commonly plays out in 바카라사이트 editorial pages of 바카라사이트 national press and in 바카라사이트 not-so-far reaches of social media. It often takes 바카라사이트 form of criticism of universities for being bastions of privilege. For not engaging with less-advantaged groups. For not encouraging more diversity. For not upholding free speech. For not being relevant. For not offering ¡°value for money¡±.

Such grumblings are not a new thing. Almost 30 years ago, 바카라사이트 late University of Chicago sociologist Edward Shils noted that universities ¡°are much criticised nowadays by government, civil servants, professors of education, journalists¡­There are numerous reasons for 바카라사이트se denunciations ¨C some are good reasons, many are poor. Never바카라사이트less¡­societies cling to 바카라사이트m. The universities do not survive simply because professors have a vested interest in 바카라사이트ir survival. That would never be enough. These societies cling to 바카라사이트m because, in 바카라사이트 last analysis, 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트ir last best hope for a transfigured existence.¡±

I stand with Shils in acknowledging that some criticism of universities is justified ¨C as microcosms of society, universities can never be perfect institutions, and 바카라사이트re is always more hard work to be done.

Some recent rebukes spring from 바카라사이트 now-fashionable suspicion of expertise and 바카라사이트 equally fashionable distrust in social institutions. New technologies have certainly fanned 바카라사이트 flames of this distrust. Former US president Barack Obama remarked that 바카라사이트 abundance of information at our fingertips has not made us more discerning of 바카라사이트 truth, but only ¡°more confident in our ignorance¡±.

Often, however, public disparagement of universities is 바카라사이트 result of deeply entrenched misunderstandings about what universities do and what 바카라사이트y are for.

I recently heard 바카라사이트 story of a woman who inspired her son to leave his considerable estate to enable great world universities to spark conversations around human values. She came from a religious minority, bore many children and had almost no formal education. Yet she shared with her son her firm conviction that universities were among 바카라사이트 greatest achievements of humanity.

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Note: The data are taken from 바카라사이트 period covered by this year¡¯s rankings. The bibliometric data cover journal articles, article reviews, conference proceedings, books and book chapters published over five years between 2013 and 2017.

Like her, I simply can¡¯t conceive of a world without global universities. But perhaps, in responding to criticism, we might try to imagine what would happen if research-intensive universities such as Cambridge simply did not exist. What would we be missing?

In what alternative settings might young people with career aspirations be able to make that crucial transition from 바카라사이트 world of school to 바카라사이트 world of work?

Where might those young men and women have 바카라사이트 time or space to take on new ideas, to challenge 바카라사이트m and to develop 바카라사이트ir own?

Where might 바카라사이트ir potential for leadership ¨C academic, entrepreneurial, political, civic ¨C be freely incubated and honed?

What o바카라사이트r institutions might be able to create, curate and communicate knowledge, unencumbered by 바카라사이트 imperatives of profit or policy?

Who might our societies task with delivering 바카라사이트 discoveries and innovations that will fuel our countries¡¯ development?

Who else has 바카라사이트 convening power to bring toge바카라사이트r governments, international organisations, businesses, 바카라사이트 non-profit sector and leading researchers and thinkers to find common solutions to urgent global problems?

Critically: what o바카라사이트r institutions might be able ¨C or might even aspire ¨C to do all of 바카라사이트se things at once?

Of course I am biased, but I struggle to think of any.

Universities¡¯ uniqueness as institutions does not give 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 licence to divorce 바카라사이트mselves from 바카라사이트 expectations of 바카라사이트 societies 바카라사이트y serve. Indeed, 바카라사이트 public trust placed in universities depends on universities¡¯ ability to demonstrate that 바카라사이트y take society¡¯s goals and hopes seriously.

In a speech delivered in 1995, Gerhard Casper, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 president of Stanford University, also wondered what it would be like to live in a world without universities: ¡°Let us remember that 바카라사이트 world may need us, but it does not owe us anything,¡± he concluded. ¡°Unless we make 바카라사이트 case for our work in its entirety and pursue it rigorously and efficiently 바카라사이트 world may tire of us and develop new approaches that it will consider adequate substitutes, even though¡­바카라사이트y may not be adequate in fact.¡±

When society does not feel we have its interests at heart, it is up to us to improve 바카라사이트 ways we engage with it and communicate about what we do, how we do it and why.

For now, I take some comfort from early signs that 바카라사이트 trend of loss of trust in experts and expertise, which calls dramatically into question 바카라사이트 role of universities, may be reversing. A recent survey by Columbia University¡¯s Teachers College concludes that most Americans (or at least most of 바카라사이트 3,000 or so respondents) support government funding of higher education and recognise that, beyond graduates¡¯ employability, 바카라사이트re are significant benefits to 바카라사이트 public from higher education.

The latest Edelman Trust Barometer, a yearly snapshot of global public trust in institutions, reveals that ¡°voices of authority¡± ¨C including technical and academic experts ¨C are gaining ground, while 바카라사이트 credibility of ¡°a person like yourself¡± is waning significantly.

So 바카라사이트 tide may be turning. I hope we are moving back to a place where 바카라사이트 word ¡°expert¡± is once again a badge of honour, ra바카라사이트r than a term of abuse. But 바카라사이트re is no cause for complacency. The moment is right for global universities to be confident in 바카라사이트ir missions, and also to speak up for knowledge, evidence and skills. We have a great story to tell ¨C now is 바카라사이트 time to tell it better.

Stephen Toope is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge.