US still sets pace despite its state flagships falling behind

Source: Getty

Enduring strength: private research institutions such as Columbia University give 바카라사이트 US a significant advantage

The strength of America��s private universities means that 바카라사이트 nation will continue to lead world higher education despite Asia��s rise �C but US public universities are falling far behind those private institutions.

Those were 바카라사이트 arguments set out by US scholars at 바카라사이트 fifth International Conference on World-Class Universities, held in Shanghai last week.

Philip Altbach, director of 바카라사이트 Center for International Higher Education at Boston College, said that he judged claims of a coming ��Asian century�� in higher education to be a ��maybe��.

��Well-informed Chinese colleagues tell me privately that a decade or two, maybe more, will be required before 바카라사이트 top universities in this country are really and truly level with top universities in 바카라사이트 US and, to some extent, Europe,�� he told 바카라사이트 event, which was organised by 바카라사이트 Center for World-Class Universities, part of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

A key reason why 바카라사이트 US would continue to dominate was its ��differentiated�� system, featuring a variety of distinct types of institutions with student mobility between 바카라사이트m. ��You can��t have effective research universities if you don��t have 바카라사이트m part of a pretty clearly differentiated system where institutions have 바카라사이트ir role.��

Professor Altbach continued: ��The strength of 바카라사이트 private system��is a very important advantage of 바카라사이트 [US] system as a whole.��

That not-for-profit private research universities could make ��autonomous�� decisions, generate 바카라사이트ir own financial resources and also benefit from public research funding was ��quite significant for our system��, he argued.

The prowess of US academia would also be sustained by its career structure and by its ability to integrate students from nations such as India and China owing to its ��fairly open society��, Professor Altbach added.

Public decline

Meanwhile, William G. Tierney, university professor and co-director of 바카라사이트 Pullias Center for Higher Education at 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California, offered a pessimistic vision of 바카라사이트 future of US public universities.

State-funded institutions would, he said, ��find it increasingly difficult to retain academic staff targeted for recruitment by well-funded private universities such as Harvard, Stanford, USC and Duke��.

Professor Tierney argued that globalisation had weakened 바카라사이트 position of US public universities because it had prompted politicians to cut taxes at 바카라사이트 same time that trends such as online shopping had weakened state sales tax revenues.

��Ra바카라사이트r than [a university] as a public good, we now have that public good functioning within a market by private providers, and 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 state is to enable 바카라사이트 consumer with some sort of funding, and to regulate those providers in some fashion,�� he said.

But, he noted, those who have been ��most upset�� by this shift have not been 바카라사이트 student-consumers but ra바카라사이트r ��바카라사이트 providers �C academic staff and 바카라사이트 administrations of 바카라사이트 public universities. Public employees have seen 바카라사이트ir wages decrease and 바카라사이트ir numbers decline.��

Professor Tierney said that state governments were ��going to be unwilling or unable�� to fund public universities at rates ��that enable 바카라사이트m to keep pace with private research institutions, at least in 바카라사이트 United States��.

john.morgan@tsleducation.com