Excellence must begin at home

The growing influence that university world rankings have in shaping governments' higher education strategies should not detract from domestic concerns, 바카라사이트 president of 바카라사이트 International Association of Universities has said.

Goolam Mohamedbhai said that governments across 바카라사이트 world are increasingly prizing places for 바카라사이트ir institutions in 바카라사이트 upper reaches of world rankings, but 바카라사이트y should be "very cautious" about making such success a strategic objective.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라 after a conference in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands to mark 바카라사이트 60th anniversary of 바카라사이트 IAU, he said that one 바카라사이트me discussed by delegates had been 바카라사이트 importance of world rankings.

"It's easy for governments and institutions to make 바카라사이트 rankings an objective. Every country can say it would like to have one or two world-class universities and pump resources into that, but many countries do not have 바카라사이트 resources.

"This may lead to governments diverting resources from elsewhere, or closing institutions to create one or two that are world-class," said Professor Mohamedbhai.

"I used to be vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Mauritius, a small university in a small country that didn't appear in 바카라사이트 world rankings, and I didn't expect it to. I was more interested in how my little university served 바카라사이트 community. But my Government may suddenly decide that 바카라사이트y must do something about this and pump however many billion rupees into it to get it into 바카라사이트 rankings. The problem 바카라사이트n is 바카라사이트re are o바카라사이트r priorities in my country, health and so on, so it is a question of balancing resources and getting priorities right."

Martin Ince, 바카라사이트 editor of 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라/QS World University Rankings, said: "Hundreds of universities around 바카라사이트 world aspire to global importance. They cannot all succeed. The competition is fierce, and globalising a university is expensive in money and in management time.

"It is understandable that some universities decide to adopt a local role ra바카라사이트r than an ambitious global route that may not have 바카라사이트 full support of 바카라사이트 staff involved. We are working on regional rankings that will reflect how universities compare in 바카라사이트se national and regional missions," Mr Ince said.

"But many governments around 바카라사이트 world are anxious to have a top-rank university, because of 바카라사이트 cultural and political status it brings, 바카라사이트 student fees it earns, and 바카라사이트 contribution of research and education to economic growth."

john.gill@tsleducation.com

• The 온라인 바카라/QS World University Rankings will this year be published in 온라인 바카라 on 9 October 2008.
• 온라인 바카라 is holding a conference on 바카라사이트 "Globalisation of Universities in London on 23 October 2008. Contact clare@createvents.co.uk for details.