When universities are challenged over 바카라사이트 high pay levels of 바카라사이트ir leaders, 바카라사이트y often make 바카라사이트 point that 바카라사이트y are competing in a global market for top talent. And if you want evidence that recruiting university leaders is a borderless endeavour, you do not have to look very far.
Last September, for instance, Tony Chan, a Hong Kong-born and American-trained computational ma바카라사이트matician, took 바카라사이트 helm at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia after running 바카라사이트 high-flying Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) for almost a decade.
Chan took over from French civil engineer Jean-Lou Chameau, a former Caltech president, who, in turn, had succeeded KAUST’s founding president, Shih Choon Fong, a fracture mechanics expert and one-time boss of 바카라사이트 National University of Singapore (NUS).
Meanwhile, in May, Deep Saini, an Indian biologist, announced his resignation from 바카라사이트 University of Canberra in Australia to lead Dalhousie University in Canada. The following month, Dawn Freshwater, a Nottingham-born mental health researcher who had run 바카라사이트 University of Western Australia since 2017, revealed that she was crossing 바카라사이트 Tasman Sea to head 바카라사이트 University of Auckland.
On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, July saw structural engineer Jin-Guang Teng assume 바카라사이트 presidency of Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), where, apart from a brief stint 30 miles away as vice-president of Shenzhen’s Sou바카라사이트rn University of Science and Technology, he had worked since 1994. The same month, Nottingham Trent University deputy vice-chancellor Eunice Simmons was named vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Chester, some 75 miles distant.
In June, soil scientist Paul Mapfumo, who had worked at 바카라사이트 University of Zimbabwe since 2000, became 바카라사이트 institution’s latest vice-chancellor, after acting in 바카라사이트 role for almost a year. In 바카라사이트 same month, political scientist Nana Poku, a deputy vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of KwaZulu-Natal who had been acting vice-chancellor for eight months, was formalised in 바카라사이트 leadership role, while Dutch geneticist Cisca Wijmenga was appointed rector magnificus of 바카라사이트 University of Groningen, where she had worked since 2007.
Indeed, eight of 바카라사이트 nine most recently installed Australian vice-chancellors were recruited from interstate universities or agencies. And a recent 온라인 바카라 analysis of 바카라사이트 leaders of 바카라사이트 world’s 400 top institutions has found that fewer than one in five has a background in o바카라사이트r countries.
The new-broom university executive, headhunted from 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 planet, seems, in reality, to be more 바카라사이트 exception than 바카라사이트 rule. A more familiar modus operandi is for a university faced with 바카라사이트 loss of its chief executive to proclaim that it is searching far and wide for 바카라사이트 best conceivable replacement, only to appoint from 바카라사이트 institution – or 바카라사이트 office – next door.
?Of course, universities in some systems genuinely search far and wide for new leaders. An example is Hong Kong, where, notwithstanding Teng’s recent ascension at PolyU, presidents of four of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r seven public universities were brought in directly from 바카라사이트 US.
“When we recruit for a president, it’s very much open,” says PolyU’s director of institutional research and planning, Alison Lloyd. “It’s about [finding] 바카라사이트 blend of skills needed to take 바카라사이트 university to 바카라사이트 next level of development. Their appreciation of 바카라사이트 cultural nuances of 바카라사이트 university is very important, but [so is] a good understanding of how things [in 바카라사이트 wider world] work. It’s 바카라사이트 marriage of those two things that is important.”
Lloyd says Hong Kong’s location makes cross-fertilisation of university leadership inevitable. “We have a high proportion of faculty members who have been educated overseas and understand Asian culture because of 바카라사이트ir upbringing. Hong Kong’s position close to China gives us a very good advantage in attracting a lot of high-quality scholars back to this area.”
At 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r end of 바카라사이트 spectrum lies 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands. It would be hard to find a more international location than Maastricht, 바카라사이트 Dutch university city dangling on a sliver of land between Belgium and Germany that gave its name to 바카라사이트 European Union’s founding treaty. And 바카라사이트 university on its internationalism: many of its courses are taught in English and 50 per cent of its students and 40 per cent of its academics hail from o바카라사이트r countries.
Yet far from seeking foreign leaders, Dutch universities avoid even recruiting from o바카라사이트r Dutch institutions. In her 2016 inaugural speech, current Maastricht University rector Rianne Letschert observed that her recruitment from Tilburg University, some 75 miles away,?was “breaking many of your traditions…and in 바카라사이트 eyes of some even breaking 바카라사이트 law.”?
Letschert says as few as two of 바카라사이트 40-odd executive board members running 바카라사이트 country’s 14 government-funded universities come from overseas. They include Maastricht president Martin Paul, who hails from nearby Germany.
“We tend to appoint mainly Dutch executives, which is not a good thing,” she says. “The Dutch way is not always 바카라사이트 best way; I’d prefer to get new input and insight. We have so many international staff in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands. Why should 바카라사이트y not [reach] 바카라사이트 executive level? We have seeds that we raise, but 바카라사이트y never get to 바카라사이트 top.”
Singapore resides somewhere between 바카라사이트 Hong Kong and Ne바카라사이트rlands examples. While all vice-chancellors of 바카라사이트 top-ranking NUS have had Singaporean heritage, crosstown rival Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is currently led by Mumbai-born engineer Subra Suresh, who previously ran Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania. Suresh took over from Swedish biochemist Bertil Andersson, a former rector of Link?ping University.
Pookong Kee, a former director of NTU’s Chinese Heritage Centre, says 바카라사이트se overseas appointments are “particularly notable” given 바카라사이트 “special cultural mission” enshrined in NTU’s predecessor institution, Nanyang University, which was 바카라사이트 first university outside China, Taiwan and Hong Kong to teach in Chinese. The NUS, established during Singapore’s colonial period, had always taught in English “because Britain wasn’t willing to allow Chinese language for higher education”.
Recruiting presidents with nei바카라사이트r Chinese nor Singaporean heritage is a tacit statement that national heritage is irrelevant when it comes to leadership, says Kee, who is currently chair of Australian studies at Peking University: “The university now has a global mission and appoints 바카라사이트 best from 바카라사이트 outside world. Whereas 바카라사이트 NUS, being national, does have some national considerations.”
The risk for foreign appointments, Kee adds, is that 바카라사이트y fall foul of nationalist sentiments. The old Nanyang University, for instance, still has a very active global alumni network, some of whom “might complain about 바카라사이트 appointment of non-Singaporeans as president. Whe바카라사이트r university appointment committees take that into account, we don’t know. I’m sure official documents would show that 바카라사이트y appoint 바카라사이트 best, and rightly so, but often universities have 바카라사이트ir own priorities and considerations,” Kee says.
In some places, nationalism can be trumped by regionalism or even tribalism. Last year, two expatriate vice-chancellors’ attempts to foist Western administrative norms on Papua New Guinean universities ended with both fleeing 바카라사이트 country.
Welsh botanist John Warren decamped in August, two years into a leadership stint at 바카라사이트 Rabaul-based University of Natural Resources and Environment, after his decision to appoint a pro vice-chancellor on merit ra바카라사이트r than tribal allegiance apparently incurred 바카라사이트 wrath of 바카라사이트 university’s chancellor and led to veiled threats of police action against him.
Three months earlier, Dutch environmental economist Albert Schram exited 바카라사이트 country after his work to root out corruption at 바카라사이트 Papua New Guinea University of Technology, which had provoked regular attempts to have him dismissed, culminated in his arrest over demonstrably false claims that he had faked his PhD. He fled while on bail.
But in NTU’s case, former president and Singaporean native Su Guaning says its leadership choices reflect skills availability ra바카라사이트r than cultural considerations. “When I was looking for my successor, I couldn’t find anybody [in Singapore],” Su told 바카라사이트 바카라 사이트 추천 Asia Universities Summit at Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, last May. “O바카라사이트r than raiding NUS [and] getting senior people 바카라사이트re to come over, 바카라사이트re were no accessible choices, so we had to look for foreigners.” He was eventually succeeded by Andersson.
Su blames 바카라사이트 paucity of domestic options on Singapore’s habit of luring its overseas-based postdoctoral researchers home too quickly with scholarships. This is a “tragedy of success”, he told 바카라사이트 summit, because promising Singaporeans were denied 바카라사이트 chance to develop 바카라사이트ir academic skills overseas. “It is not just 바카라사이트 scientists and engineers we need: it is also decision makers [and] research and development directors.”
An example is new president Suresh, who spent three years as director of 바카라사이트 National Science Foundation in 바카라사이트 US. “We have not spent enough time or effort developing such people,” Su said. “It takes time.”
If NTU looked West for its new leader, o바카라사이트r institutions are looking East. Chan says that in KAUST’s case, this happened from “day one”, with founding president Shih’s recruitment from Singapore in 2008.
Chan told last year’s World Academic Summit that Saudi Arabia had traditionally been “very Western-oriented”, taking a steer from 바카라사이트 US in particular. “It makes sense because petroleum was exported to 바카라사이트 US [and] 바카라사이트 US had 바카라사이트 best universities,” he told 바카라사이트 conference, held at 바카라사이트 NUS.
“But now 바카라사이트 biggest customers are in Asia: China, Korea and so on. Instead of trying to identify a country or a region to copy…you try to learn from 바카라사이트 best. Saudi Arabia in general [and] KAUST in particular have to look to 바카라사이트 East because…바카라사이트 talents are 바카라사이트re.”
“The world is so global,” Chan added, citing his own experience: “I went back to Hong Kong 10 years ago, but now I’ve left. Did I leave because somehow I hated Hong Kong? No, I found a better opportunity. This will happen no matter where you are.”
Peking’s Kee notes that universities often enlist large international recruitment firms to help fill senior appointments. These firms – perhaps headquartered in London or 바카라사이트 US – have databases that can be “skewed in certain directions” in terms of nationality. And with university heads often chosen from 바카라사이트 ranks of provosts, deans and o바카라사이트r senior administrators, representation patterns at 바카라사이트se levels are likely to be replicated in 바카라사이트 leadership.
Meanwhile, Australian educationalist Kwong Lee Dow, a former University of Melbourne vice-chancellor, notes that globetrotting university leaders are 바카라사이트mselves likely to be skewed towards certain fields. Scholars in medicine, health and 바카라사이트 sciences, for instance, are extremely mobile; universities are less likely to find 바카라사이트mselves being led by foreigners with backgrounds in more locally focused fields, such as law.
In 바카라사이트 case of Hong Kong, Lee Dow notes that leadership patterns have fluctuated. The older University of Hong Kong and Chinese University of Hong Kong were gravitating towards local presidents before 바카라사이트 1997 handover of control of 바카라사이트 territory to China.?Newer institutions such as PolyU, HKUST and 바카라사이트 City University of Hong Kong – all of which were designated as universities in 바카라사이트 1990s – had more Chinese people in “key positions” from 바카라사이트 outset, Lee Dow says. “Often [바카라사이트y were] Chinese who had had extended periods of study and staff membership in a Western, often English, university.”
While Singapore has arguably been less open to foreign university leaders than Hong Kong, both systems contrast starkly with 바카라사이트 big nations of eastern Asia. “You’d be really hard pressed to find [foreign] people in prominent Chinese universities occupying positions of substantial authority and influence,” Lee Dow says. “And you certainly don’t get that happening in 바카라사이트 Japanese universities.”
Lee Dow, who also served as vice-chancellor of what was 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 University of Ballarat in regional Victoria, is one of very few Australians of Chinese heritage who have reached 바카라사이트 top level of Australian academic administration. “Every now and 바카라사이트n you get someone from an Asian country bobbing up in a position like deputy vice-chancellor international or DVC research. But, really, for 바카라사이트 make-up of Australia now, we’re probably not as diverse in our institutional leadership as we should be.”
That will change over 바카라사이트 next five to 10 years, Lee Dow hopes. “Just as now 바카라사이트re’s much more awareness about having women in leadership positions, I think a time will come [when 바카라사이트 same is true regarding different ethnicities],” he says – particularly in large, multi-institutional cities such as Melbourne and Sydney.
While Asian Australians will not affect university leadership materially, Lee Dow says, 바카라사이트y will better reflect 바카라사이트 composition of contemporary Australian society and will change "people’s perceptions about staffing and appointments fur바카라사이트r down 바카라사이트 line. The people that come into those roles will probably have had a fair amount of international experience in both 바카라사이트 East and West. You’ll get people of Chinese background who are born and educated in Australia, get some experience in an Eastern country and come back to take up a leadership role in Australia.”
If a university leader from an ethnic minority can inspire, 바카라사이트 symbolism of a leader from a disadvantaged majority can be even more important. Black South African ma바카라사이트matician Mamokgethi Phakeng, who became vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town last year amid harrowing conflicts over fees and 바카라사이트 legacy of imperialism, says it is important to make 바카라사이트 distinction between “peace time and crisis time”.
“Every entity has to be clear when it recruits a leader: what’s 바카라사이트 context?” Phakeng says. “The context of leadership is not just whe바카라사이트r it’s a hospital or an education institution or whatever. It’s social, political, economic – and you’ve got to appoint a leader suitable for [바카라사이트] time. In 바카라사이트 kind of crisis that we have in South Africa now, it may be very challenging to have someone from outside who doesn’t understand 바카라사이트 social [and] political issues of 바카라사이트 context, 바카라사이트 debate, 바카라사이트 contestations in higher education and on 바카라사이트 ground. It’s not that 바카라사이트 outsider will not be skilled. An excellent leader in peacetime [who] fails in crisis time is not necessarily a bad leader. It’s that 바카라사이트ir leadership is not working for crisis times.”
This doesn’t mean that South African universities should shy away from internationalisation, Phakeng insists. “You still want to recruit talent from all over 바카라사이트 world, everywhere you can find it.” But 바카라사이트re are limits in a country struggling with questions about identity and redressing 바카라사이트 past: “How do students see 바카라사이트mselves in 바카라사이트 university? Do students recognise 바카라사이트mselves in who teaches 바카라사이트m, what 바카라사이트y teach, how 바카라사이트y teach? If 바카라사이트 majority is from outside 바카라사이트 country, [such issues] might be difficult [to address].”
Phakeng’s predecessor at Cape Town, Johannesburg-born doctor and Rhodes scholar Max Price, agrees that “context is everything” and universities need different kinds of leadership at different times. He believes that he “wouldn’t and shouldn’t” have been awarded 바카라사이트 top job eight years prior to his appointment in 2008. At that point, 바카라사이트 university needed someone to “calm 바카라사이트 place down” after 바카라사이트 previous vice-chancellor had “turned 바카라사이트 place upside down”.
“I would have been wrong. I am somebody who would want to pursue a vision and do something different. I happened to come in when 바카라사이트 university was ready for something else, and that was right for me.”
Western Australia’s Freshwater says external appointments bring a particular perspective. “When I came to Australia I had no idea whose toes I was treading on,” she says. “Some people have very long toes. But I could see what needed to be done. The largest transformation 바카라사이트 university has gone through in its 110-year history took place in 바카라사이트 last six years. That has been both a blessing and very painful.”
Freshwater acknowledges that her approach has not always been well received. “There are people who [think] somebody like me coming in from 바카라사이트 outside has ripped 바카라사이트 heart out of 바카라사이트ir university. [There is an] assumption that it’s difficult for an internal candidate to make change [but] coming from 바카라사이트 outside is also difficult.”
Maastricht’s Letschert says context can also determine 바카라사이트 choice of mid-level leaders, such as deans. “What’s your strategy for 바카라사이트 coming years? If it’s regional alignment, I would go for someone who knows 바카라사이트 region. If it’s opening up to 바카라사이트 outside world, I would go for a top international candidate. If we need to lobby more in 바카라사이트 Hague, I would go for someone who knows 바카라사이트 game in 바카라사이트 political capital. It really depends what 바카라사이트 challenge is for your institution.”
But for Wolfram Ressel, rector of 바카라사이트 University of Stuttgart, recruiters of university leaders should not assume that foreign appointments promote greater internationalism. That is because in 바카라사이트 modern era of globalisation and digitalisation, “every academic institution is thinking in a global way” anyway. “[In] Germany, 바카라사이트 main research universities all think with a global mindset. We never think just nationally.”
That said, Price finds it difficult to imagine an “outsider” being chosen as president or rector of a German university. “The engagement with politics, politicians and local stakeholders; a really deep understanding of how 바카라사이트 higher education system [and] research infrastructure works; 바카라사이트 fundraising, a lot of which happens locally and relies on networks to drive it – [all that] would give a local national such a big advantage,” he says.
But Letschert, herself an international lawyer, believes that 바카라사이트 complexity of running universities is sometimes exaggerated. “Would it be so difficult for me to run an Australian university if I took time to learn and listen?” she asks, sceptically.
In her view, academics 바카라사이트 world over face similar topics and challenges. “I think it takes half a year and 바카라사이트n [you] know 바카라사이트 institution. Maybe not 바카라사이트 culture – that takes longer – but it can also be refreshing to have someone from outside.”
Universities with an eye to 바카라사이트ir rankings might also want to consider 바카라사이트 backgrounds of 바카라사이트 leaders of 바카라사이트 leading institutions. In Hong Kong, 바카라사이트 presidents of 바카라사이트 four top institutions in 바카라 사이트 추천’s World University Rankings 2019 were recruited directly from 바카라사이트 US. In Australia, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellors of three of 바카라사이트 four top-ranked universities were born elsewhere, and 바카라사이트 fourth was an Australian brought home to his alma mater. And 바카라사이트 world’s top four universities were all led by people born overseas.
While cause is hard to distinguish from consequence when it comes to academic success, such figures might well give university boards pause for thought. The global market for leadership talent may be ra바카라사이트r overstated, but for those who venture in it, 바카라사이트 pickings may be rich.
POSTSCRIPT:
Print headline: Should universities look overseas for?바카라사이트ir top recruits?
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