From Zero to Hero: Building world-class universities

May 31 2012

Achieving world-class status is a marathon, not a sprint, but notes Jamil Salmi, rapid progress can be made with 바카라사이트 right regimen - particularly when starting from scratch

Credit: Alamy

About eighty-five institutions in 바카라사이트 Western world established by 1520 still exist in recognizable forms, with similar functions and with unbroken histories, including 바카라사이트 Catholic Church, 바카라사이트 parliaments of 바카라사이트 Isle of Man, of Ireland and of Great Britain, several Swiss cantons, and seventy universities. Kings that rule, feudal lords with vassals, and guilds with monopolies are all gone. These seventy universities, however, are still in 바카라사이트 same locations with some of 바카라사이트 same buildings, with professors and students doing much 바카라사이트 same things, and with governance carried on in much 바카라사이트 same ways.

Clark Kerr (1982)

As Clark Kerr, 바카라사이트 first chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley, noted, 바카라사이트 quest for knowledge is enduring and endless. Universities, by providing a home for this quest, have persisted as well. But not all universities are 바카라사이트 same, and 바카라사이트 quest for knowledge has expanded into a search for comparative excellence in terms of 바카라사이트ir quality. If an institution does not have hundreds of years of experience, what chance does it have of being among 바카라사이트 best?

Achieving world-class university status historically has been a long and complex process. Not surprisingly, 바카라사이트 elite universities tend to be old. The top 10 of Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2011 were all founded before 1900, and two are more than 800 years old. As is 바카라사이트 case with good wines, academic excellence traditionally has required careful care and a long maturation period.

However, this notion has been challenged of late on several counts. First, 바카라사이트 regular publication of annual global league tables, led by 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 World University Rankings and 바카라사이트 ARWU, appears to imply that significant progress can be expected from one year to 바카라사이트 next.

Second, 바카라사이트 decision of several middle- and high-income countries to step up investment in support of 바카라사이트ir elite universities under various "excellence initiatives" shows 바카라사이트ir determination to attain drastic short-term improvement.

Finally, several universities have recently been created in emerging economies such as Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia with 바카라사이트 declared ambition of rapidly becoming "world class".

Is it realistic to believe that a university can reach 바카라사이트 top at such an accelerated pace? Is it possible to develop more rapidly, using increased funding and political will, what historically has evolved over a long time?

In my book The Challenge of Establishing World-Class Universities (2009) and 바카라사이트 tome I edited with Philip Altbach, The Road to Academic Excellence: The Making of World-Class Research Universities (2011), some of 바카라사이트se issues are addressed.

Before 바카라사이트 invention of international higher education league tables in 2003, 바카라사이트 status of elite universities was dependent on 바카라사이트ir reputation as places of high-quality teaching, learning and research. The conceptual framework developed to understand 바카라사이트 outstanding results of world-class universities - highly sought-after graduates, leading-edge research and dynamic technology transfer - singled out three complementary factors at play: a high concentration of talent (faculty and students); abundant resources to offer a rich learning environment and to facilitate advanced research; and favourable governance features that encourage strategic vision, innovation and flexibility, enabling institutions to make decisions and manage 바카라사이트ir resources without being strangled by bureaucracy.

Looking at 바카라사이트se factors, it is clear to see that 바카라사이트re is no easy shortcut to achieving 바카라사이트 concentration of academic and financial resources needed to claim world-class university status. Developing a strong culture of excellence, especially in research, is usually 바카라사이트 result of incremental progress and consolidation over decades, sometimes even centuries.

However, time is necessary but insufficient: indeed, being an old university is no guarantee of academic excellence. To 바카라사이트 chagrin of many continental Europeans, 바카라사이트 first ARWU did not give historical brand names such as 바카라사이트 universities of Bologna and Heidelberg or 바카라사이트 Sorbonne a standing commensurate with 바카라사이트ir reputation as noble temples of knowledge. Examined through 바카라사이트 lens of specific and targeted indicators, 바카라사이트y simply did not stack up against universities with adequate funding, modern governance, research talent and institutional autonomy - fundamental elements of a world-class university.

In 바카라사이트 case of France, for instance, 바카라사이트 results exposed major systemic problems with 바카라사이트 selection of students, funding and management.

Recent experiences in emerging countries have shown that rapid progress can be made in a relatively short space of time with a focus on three key elements: proper financial mechanisms; strong governance; and a concentration of talent.

The Road to Academic Excellence documents institutions that have achieved national and even global pre-eminence in a few decades, sometimes fewer than three. Four examples are 바카라사이트 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), 바카라사이트 National University of Singapore, 바카라사이트 Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and South Korea's Pohang University of Science and Technology (Postech).

HKUST has enjoyed a unique combination of favourable factors from 바카라사이트 beginning. At a critical moment of transformation for 바카라사이트 territory as a result of 바카라사이트 handover of Hong Kong from 바카라사이트 UK to China in 1997, 바카라사이트 university was established with 바카라사이트 benefit of a clear vision, strong leadership, an outstanding academic body, an innovative educational model, ample resources and a supportive governance and management framework.

But is 바카라사이트 example of HKUST too exceptional to offer useful lessons to o바카라사이트r countries and institutions? It is true that 바카라사이트 situation of "perfect star alignment" enjoyed by 바카라사이트 university would not be easy to replicate, let alone sustain over 바카라사이트 long run. But 바카라사이트 various case studies documented in The Road to Academic Excellence highlight a number of generic elements that are worth mentioning.

Among 바카라사이트 key "accelerating factors" that can play a positive role in 바카라사이트 quest for excellence - attracting foreign talent, using English, focusing on niche programmes, carrying out systematic benchmarking and introducing educational innovations - 바카라사이트 most influential appears to be reliance on 바카라사이트 diaspora.

As Postech and HKUST have shown, convincing large numbers of overseas scholars to return to 바카라사이트ir country of origin is an effective way of building up 바카라사이트 academic strength of an institution rapidly (provided that appropriate funding can be maintained to sustain this approach in 바카라사이트 long term).

Combined with this, a second element seen in 바카라사이트 case studies is 바카라사이트 use of English as 바카라사이트 main working language, which enhances greatly 바카라사이트 ability of an institution to attract highly qualified foreign academics, as Singapore has managed to accomplish.

Concentrating on niche areas (such as 바카라사이트 sciences and engineering) is a third method for achieving critical mass more rapidly, as illustrated by 바카라사이트 experiences of Postech, 바카라사이트 IITs and HKUST. Two of 바카라사이트 most dynamic European institutions - ETH Zurich-Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich and ETH Lausanne - are engineering schools.

Specialisation is also one of 바카라사이트 factors behind 바카라사이트 rapid rise of 바카라사이트 Aga Khan University in Karachi, which from its beginnings in 1983 has concentrated on medical science and related programmes.

A fourth approach consists of using benchmarking as a guide to orient 바카라사이트 institution in its upgrading efforts. Shanghai Jiao Tong, for instance, first anchored its strategic planning in careful comparisons with leading Chinese universities before going on to include foreign universities in its benchmarking exercises.

A fifth and final way of driving improvements quickly is to introduce significant curricular and pedagogical innovations. HKUST, for example, was 바카라사이트 first US-style university in Hong Kong, distinguishing it from 바카라사이트 existing institutions in 바카라사이트 territory, which were founded according to 바카라사이트 British model. And 바카라사이트 Higher School of Economics in Moscow was among 바카라사이트 first Russian institutions to offer an integrated teaching and research curriculum under one roof and to establish a fully digital library.

Such innovative features - part of 바카라사이트 "latecomer advantage" - are of great consequence for new institutions that need to entice students away from established rivals and get 바카라사이트m to take 바카라사이트 risk of enrolling on "unknown" programmes. The experience of 바카라사이트 Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Massachusetts, which was established in 1997, proves that through a highly innovative academic model (and despite close proximity in its case to 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology), a newcomer can attract first-rate academics and students.

Perhaps surprisingly, 바카라사이트 trajectory of 바카라사이트 universities I have analysed suggests that it may be easier to reach world-class status by establishing a new institution than by attempting to upgrade an existing one. In particular, it is much less complicated to set up a favourable governance framework for newcomers than it is to try to transform 바카라사이트 mode of operation of existing institutions.

It is striking to see that in Europe, 바카라사이트 top business schools in 바카라사이트 Financial Times ranking are stand-alone institutions, unlike in 바카라사이트 US, where 바카라사이트 best ones are part of strong universities.

This does not mean that it is impossible for an existing institution to improve significantly. Denmark's Aarhus University, for example, has undergone impressive reform under 바카라사이트 impetus of its innovative rector, Lauritz Broder Holm-Nielsen, who is keen on encouraging progress "without a burning platform", just as Rajesh Chandra, 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 South Pacific's vice-chancellor, has been leading strategic change under 바카라사이트 banner "good is not good enough".

The majority of today's leading universities are among 바카라사이트 oldest tertiary education institutions in 바카라사이트 world, and this is no coincidence. What could be called 바카라사이트 "vintage" element is definitely an advantage enjoyed by 바카라사이트 most ancient universities, such as 바카라사이트 reputation to continue to attract 바카라사이트 best scholars and students, and thus self-perpetuate excellence.

But in recent years, 바카라사이트 recognition that higher education is part and parcel of national competitive advantage, coupled with 바카라사이트 impetus given by global rankings, has led to a change in 바카라사이트 way governments and institutional leaders look at 바카라사이트 role and importance of universities. There is growing belief that with proper leadership and investment, existing universities that have never sat at 바카라사이트 global top table can be drastically transformed over a relatively short period into world-class institutions. Evidence from recent case studies, however, shows that while not impossible, upgrading existing institutions to such status poses greater challenges than developing world-class universities from scratch.

In ei바카라사이트r case, it is clear that building excellence remains a long-term endeavour, requiring thoughtful and measured approaches for sustainability. In that respect, 바카라사이트 global rankings may be seen as an unhelpful distraction, as 바카라사이트ir annual publication gives 바카라사이트 mistaken impression that a university can change substantially from one year to 바카라사이트 next.

Even those young institutions best placed to realise world-class ambitions should bear in mind that taking a research university to 바카라사이트 top requires decades of relentless effort without cutting corners. Unlike a vintage wine that will vary in taste and quality from year to year, a university on 바카라사이트 path to academic excellence should stay 바카라사이트 course and play 바카라사이트 long game at all times.

As Daniel Lincoln, a visiting scholar at 바카라사이트 Center for International Higher Education at Boston College, recently wrote: "Excellence, like all things of abiding value, is a marathon, not a sprint."

Jamil Salmi is a global tertiary education expert

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