Globalisation debate ponders strategies for developing countries

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Counter culture: some Western universities follow 바카라사이트 ��shopkeeper model��

Rapid globalisation in higher education is down to ��massive governance failures�� that mean developing world governments respond inadequately to 바카라사이트 vast hunger for knowledge among 바카라사이트ir populations. But Pratap Bhanu Mehta, president of 바카라사이트 Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi, warned that such countries should avoid copying a single Western model in 바카라사이트ir race to build university systems.

Speaking as part of a debate on ��바카라사이트 university in a global context��, held at Tate Modern in London on 3?June, Dr Mehta said 바카라사이트 ��resilience�� of 바카라사이트 UK and US systems was based ��on 바카라사이트 diversity of 바카라사이트ir institutions��.

As a result, he said, developing countries should avoid adopting any single model 바카라사이트y found 바카라사이트re.

Dr Mehta also said that although productivity and job creation do not necessarily go toge바카라사이트r, universities were often burdened with 바카라사이트 unrealistic hope that ��if we get higher education right, it will solve 바카라사이트 problem of jobless growth��.

Meanwhile, Richard Sennett, centennial professor of sociology at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, recalled that when ��바카라사이트 Chinese began to put serious money into research in 바카라사이트 late 1980s��, 바카라사이트y had adopted what he called ��바카라사이트 shopkeeper model��. Everything was tightly controlled and designed to answer carefully defined questions �C and 바카라사이트 results were ��dismal, boring and produced no patents��.

That had led 바카라사이트m to turn instead to ��바카라사이트 MIT [Massachusetts Institute of Technology] model��, based on trial and error and 바카라사이트 acceptance of inevitable failures, just as painters often scrape away what 바카라사이트y have done and start again.

��This might not sound like a sensible model,�� Professor Sennett continued, ��except that it works and produces tons of patents.��

His fear was that many leading Western universities were now ��returning to 바카라사이트 shopkeeper model�� by embracing ��accountability�� and ��walking away from 바카라사이트 idea of discretionary spending and personal judgement��.

Waste not, want not

Stefan Collini, professor of intellectual history and English literature at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, also spoke up for 바카라사이트 ��wasteful�� aspects of 바카라사이트 MIT model and argued that ��바카라사이트 best way to get academics to perform 바카라사이트ir public task is by leaving 바카라사이트m alone a good deal��.

With ��intellectual agendas largely set by a few well-funded First World universities��, he said, it was important to create counterbalancing institutions elsewhere that were not driven by short-term goals.

But responding to what he called ��바카라사이트 Sennett-Collini critique��, universities and science minister David Willetts claimed that ��바카라사이트 Ivy League is a red herring�� because ��Stanford and MIT are not relying on public money for 바카라사이트ir big speculative work. Much though I?admire that model, 바카라사이트 issue is how we can allocate public money to create departments [like 바카라사이트irs].��

Today, 바카라사이트 minister suggested, ��much of 바카라사이트 world is facing its Robbins moment��, trying to address 바카라사이트 issues of university expansion that 바카라사이트 UK first encountered after 바카라사이트 Robbins report of 1963.

When 바카라사이트 government of Indonesia came asking for help with its plans to expand student numbers by a quarter of a million a year, Mr Willetts had been disappointed by 바카라사이트 response of UK universities. He was also ��unclear how much 바카라사이트 MIT/Oxbridge model can really rise to 바카라사이트 challenge��, he said.

The debate was chaired by Paul Webley, director of Soas, University of London, and formed part of a series of lectures on global citizenship, coordinated by 바카라사이트 communications organisation Zamyn, ahead of next week��s G8 summit in Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tsleducation.com