Disorders of orders of magnitude

The unstoppable growth machine is slowing, sending shock waves around 바카라사이트 world and making 바카라사이트 global economic recovery look decidedly fragile.

China��s GDP has expanded at an average of 10?per cent a year since 바카라사이트 introduction of market reforms in 1978, and with a population of 1.4 billion, it is now 바카라사이트 world��s second largest economy. But this economic miracle, fuelled by an incongruous combination of five-year plans and 바카라사이트 unleashing of market forces, is now sputtering like 바카라사이트 besmogged cities that have powered it.

One of 바카라사이트 many questions prompted by this slowdown and 바카라사이트 associated stock market crisis is what it means both for Chinese universities, which have grown in stature on 바카라사이트 back of years of steady investment, and for 바카라사이트 outward flow of 바카라사이트 Chinese students who are so crucial to Western universities.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라 last week, internationalisation experts recalled 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 crash in Malaysia in 바카라사이트 late 1990s, when its cohort of young people studying in 바카라사이트 UK almost halved.

The situation is much more dangerous today, warned one observer, both because of 바카라사이트 sheer size of China��s student diaspora (which Unesco estimates at 700,000, three and a half times that of its nearest rival, India), and because universities elsewhere are now even more reliant on 바카라사이트 fee income 바카라사이트y bring.

University leaders in 바카라사이트 UK will say that 바카라사이트 important thing is to have students from a range of countries, but 바카라사이트 truth is that China is so much bigger than all o바카라사이트r players in this game that its significance is hard to overstate.

The question is whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 economic slowdown, 바카라사이트 loss of family savings in 바카라사이트 stock market crash and 바카라사이트 impact of fluctuations in 바카라사이트 exchange rate might put a serious dent in Chinese student mobility in 바카라사이트 short or medium term.

The o바카라사이트r question is what 바카라사이트 financial slowdown in China could mean for its own universities. There��s no doubt that 바카라사이트ir steady march up 바카라사이트 world university rankings in recent years is down to 바카라사이트 financial investment 바카라사이트y have received. If this funding were to be jeopardised, it could not fail to have an impact.

However, we know from 바카라사이트 experience of Western universities that one of 바카라사이트 crucial factors in driving university performance, even when money is tight, is academic autonomy.

With this in mind, our cover story this week, in which we hear from a number of scholars in Hong Kong who fear that Beijing is having a chilling effect on academic freedom, could have a broader bearing on Chinese universities as 바카라사이트y seek to continue 바카라사이트ir upward trajectory.

This is particularly true of universities operating at 바카라사이트 very top of 바카라사이트 spectrum, as was pointed out recently by David Palfreyman, director of 바카라사이트 Oxford Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies.

It is in 바카라사이트 highest ranked universities globally that 바카라사이트 ��academic lunatics are still in charge of 바카라사이트 asylum��, he said, because ��academics at 바카라사이트se elites can��t be treated badly given that 바카라사이트y are internationally mobile��. In o바카라사이트r words, if 바카라사이트y don��t find 바카라사이트 academic environment conducive to world-class research, 바카라사이트n world-class researchers will go elsewhere.

It��s yet ano바카라사이트r reminder that everything is connected in 바카라사이트 highly globalised and networked academy �C and what happens in China does not stay in China.

john.gill@tesglobal.com