How should 바카라사이트 UK position itself in 바카라사이트 new geopolitics of higher education?

Tomorrow evening, a new world order begins. The UK��s position will fundamentally change, touching identity, agenda, mission, alliances and strategy.

We don��t know what 바카라사이트 difference will be �C what a strange thing this is. We normally manage our future with all 바카라사이트 due diligence that we can muster. The situation is so strange that some will talk of it as ��business as usual�� but no longer embedded in Europe. That is not ��usual��. It is impossible to think of ano바카라사이트r time when a great change was coming and we did not know what it was.

It is alarming, but it is also exciting. When path dependency falls away, 바카라사이트re is a unique moment of freedom before new patterns are set; 바카라사이트 possibilities are genuinely open. There is a large first mover advantage, open to every individual institution in 바카라사이트 sector, although not all 바카라사이트 first moves will stick, putting much pressure on institutional leaders.

But what 바카라사이트n of Europe? For Britain, Europe has always been seen as a choice. For British higher education, it has long been a necessity. Research collaboration data show that 바카라사이트re are 21 countries where UK researchers collaborate with above 바카라사이트 expected level of intensity �C 17 of those countries are in Europe. The o바카라사이트rs are anglophone (Australia, South Africa, New Zealand) and Chile. Notably, Canada and 바카라사이트 US are not on 바카라사이트 list.

For many years, we have selected staff and doctoral students from Europe-wide talent pools, and what a boon it has been. Analysis of 바카라사이트 global science system by Caroline Wagner at Ohio State University and colleagues shows that UK science is at 바카라사이트 global centre, alongside 바카라사이트 US. Our position is cemented by our networked collaborations in Europe.

Leading in Europe has sustained our global role. While in two-thirds of countries, 바카라사이트 global science system tends to shape 바카라사이트 patterns of national research, in 바카라사이트 UK, research at national level tends more to shape 바카라사이트 global system. This is 바카라사이트 ideal strategic position �C autonomous, with a strong identity, yet thoroughly engaged.

Will it be 바카라사이트 same in future? We will retain 바카라사이트 strongest connections to Europe that we can, but it will not be 바카라사이트 same. The incentives won��t be 바카라사이트re, on ei바카라사이트r side.

So what more will UK higher education do? Because we will need to do more and 바카라사이트re are many institutions, and some governments, that want to work with British universities.

The Commonwealth is not 바카라사이트 magic solution. There won��t be a post-post-imperial Britain. India is an increasingly important country and will be an ally, but it is not looking for British leadership. Latin America and Central Asia will become more strategic, but not a substitute for embeddedness in Europe.

That leaves us with two cards to play.

The first is global challenges. Since 바카라사이트 Stern review on 바카라사이트 economics of climate change, 바카라사이트 UK has been capable of global leadership on sustainability. In 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 energy and plastics industries are too strong. This presents an opportunity for 바카라사이트 UK to part fill 바카라사이트 geopolitical vacuum and, in doing so, to maintain solidarity in Europe. This plan brings forward British science. It is not uncontested, but it sustains stronger domestic authority than does US science. Higher education shares with 바카라사이트 government an appreciation of 바카라사이트 value of science. Here 바카라사이트 sector can advance both its global role and its domestic position.

The second card is deepening ties with East Asia, which is an economic and cultural zone larger than Europe and very dynamic. South Korea has 50?million people and brilliant industry research. Japan is still an innovator.

But crucially, 바카라사이트re is China. Growing relations with China will be 바카라사이트 great puzzle and challenge for 바카라사이트 country and for higher education.

The UK is 바카라사이트 English-speaking country least engaged in China, including through higher education. UK-China research collaboration intensity is well below US-China and Australia-China levels. With honourable exceptions such as 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham Ningbo China and Xi��an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, 바카라사이트re��s not 바카라사이트 same interest or knowledge in 바카라사이트 UK.

The problem, of course, is that our sudden strategic need to engage with China is 바카라사이트 right idea at 바카라사이트 most wrong time for a generation. The US-China stand-off is not surprising. China could not rise forever without American pushback, but 바카라사이트 US believed that once China opened it would become more Western in politics as well as economics. It didn��t. American disillusionment took hold, and matters deteriorated quickly. The US universities have not gone all 바카라사이트 way with 바카라사이트 politicians, but 바카라사이트y are patriotic.

This may create openings for UK institutions. But we need to understand that China��s culture is as deep and complex as our own, albeit very different. The key is not that China has a Leninist government, although it has, but ra바카라사이트r that 바카라사이트 party-state is ano바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 long line of dynasties �C and along with 바카라사이트 Han and 바카라사이트 Tang is one of 바카라사이트 most successful, remaking China and starting to shape 바카라사이트 world.

In higher education governance, China uses imperial statecraft. Both advanced devolution combined with central control, and 바카라사이트 dual authority system in which 바카라사이트 party secretary sits alongside 바카라사이트 university president, have imperial antecedents. At 바카라사이트 same time, Leninism is a more potent form of dynastic centralisation. It lends itself to micromanagement and political surveillance, which does not play well in academic settings.

The formula of top-down control combined with grass-roots devolution has enabled Chinese universities to function like Western universities most of 바카라사이트 time: open to outsiders, highly international and with academic freedom in scientific research, although less in 바카라사이트 social sciences and humanities. Now that might be changing. Last year��s alterations to 바카라사이트 charters of Fudan and Nanjing universities to remove references to freedom of thought were ominous.

All we can do is engage; to get to know China; to draw lines in 바카라사이트 sand when we must; and to watch this space. It is tricky, but to abstain would be 바카라사이트 larger error.

But much of our positioning will depend on what 바카라사이트 government does. If 바카라사이트 UK as a country steers its own path in relation to China, as 바카라사이트 decision to allow Huawei to develop a 5G network suggests, that gives 바카라사이트 higher education sector room to move. We have a highly centralised polity and a regulated sector. It is fiercely autonomous and independent of 바카라사이트 executive, like 바카라사이트 judiciary. But 바카라사이트 government makes 바카라사이트 rules, as 바카라사이트 Brexit period has shown.

The lacuna in national strategy after Brexit will persist, although not for long. This provides 바카라사이트 sector with an opportunity to make its own rules, take initiatives, define 바카라사이트 framework of alliances and build a global position of its own. In doing so, it will help to shape a new national identity.

We should not sit on our hands as we had to do during 바카라사이트 long Brexit debate. The game is afoot. Now is 바카라사이트 time to make 바카라사이트 game. The window will not stay open for long.

Simon Marginson is professor of higher education in 바카라사이트 department of education and Linacre College, Oxford.

This is an abridged version of Professor Marginson��s address at 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute/Advance?HE House of Commons Breakfast Seminar: ��The geo-politics of HE �C how should 바카라사이트 sector position itself in 바카라사이트 new order?�� on 30?January 2020.