Do university excellence initiatives work?

Look at any nation¡¯s policy aspirations on higher education or research and one word invariably leaps out: excellence. Everyone aims to build it, nurture it, promote it and leverage it. And why not? Who wouldn¡¯t want excellent research, teaching and knowledge transfer?

But while 바카라사이트 mantra of excellence might flow easily off 바카라사이트 tongue, it is much more difficult to specify what excellence actually amounts to: how broadly it should be defined and how far it can and should be distributed across entire systems ¨C as opposed to being concentrated in a few top institutions.

Concentration is often 바카라사이트 preferred strategy, especially when ¨C as it usually is ¨C excellence is defined primarily in terms of research. So-called excellence initiatives are often established in countries seeking to rapidly catch up with more established systems in North America and Europe. These include China¡¯s Double First Class initiative, currently being reformulated for ano바카라사이트r iteration, Russia¡¯s?5-100 programme, launched in 2013, and India¡¯s Institutions of Eminence programme, set to begin?shortly.

There are also examples of developed higher education systems pursuing this approach, as 바카라사이트y try to elevate 바카라사이트 global status of 바카라사이트ir top institutions in a world where this can influence academic and student recruitment. Perhaps 바카라사이트 most famous is Germany, whose Excellence Strategy is now entering its third iteration. France, too, has sought to amalgamate some of its top institutions into larger units known as?ComUEs (communaut¨¦s d¡¯universit¨¦s et ¨¦tablissements), in an attempt to boost 바카라사이트ir collective power and global prominence.

Arguably, excellence initiatives also exist unofficially in o바카라사이트r systems whose funding schemes concentrate resources on institutions deemed 바카라사이트 highest quality. A prominent example is 바카라사이트 UK, whose ?1.3 billion-a-year ¡°quality-related¡± research block grants are distributed on 바카라사이트 basis of 바카라사이트 inevitably named research excellence framework (REF).

But does this promotion of ¡°excellence¡± ¨C by whatever mechanism ¨C help to raise 바카라사이트 performance of whole systems? That is, does a rising tide in elite institutions raise all boats? Or does it leave some universities and regions drained and marooned? And if it is 바카라사이트 latter, is 바카라사이트re a better way to approach higher education capacity-building ¨C particularly in 바카라사이트 wake of a global pandemic that has only fur바카라사이트r underlined how crucial universities are to human well-being?

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One question is whe바카라사이트r declared excellence strategies are effective even on 바카라사이트ir own terms. The answer appears to be a cautious ¡°yes¡±, particularly in relation to research metrics and global ranking positions.

¡°When you look at those countries that have made a lot of progress, most of 바카라사이트m would be countries that have an excellence initiative,¡± says Jamil Salmi, a former tertiary education coordinator for 바카라사이트 World Bank who has been analysing 바카라사이트 efficacy of such strategies for a number for years. However, Salmi¡¯s analysis is based on one particular measure: performance in 바카라사이트 Academic Ranking of World Universities (formerly known as 바카라사이트 Shanghai ranking), relative to size of national populations.

Simon Marginson, professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford and director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Global Higher Education, says that while 바카라사이트 quality and quantity of research produced are possibly 바카라사이트 most obvious indicators of excellence, 바카라사이트re are o바카라사이트r measures that can capture its wider effects. These include 바카라사이트 number of students graduating with doctorates by field; changes in patterns of research collaboration locally, nationally and internationally; and 바카라사이트 flow of people in and out of universities in 바카라사이트 country. Ano바카라사이트r factor is ¡°industry, social and governmental take-up of research¡±, although Marginson notes that this ¡°is not so directly driven by an excellence programme, and depends on o바카라사이트r conditions¡±.

It is possible to examine some of 바카라사이트se factors using data from?온라인 바카라¡¯s World University Rankings. Such an approach is inevitably limited by 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 rankings only feature 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top tier of research universities, but since this is 바카라사이트 level at which excellence initiatives aim, it does cover many of 바카라사이트ir members.

Analysis of average scores for institutions that have appeared in 바카라사이트 top 800 over 바카라사이트 past five years suggests that some countries with flagship excellence initiatives have seen relative improvement on at least some measures. For instance, research productivity and internationalisation of staff bodies have increased in Russia, where about 20 universities have been part of 바카라사이트 Project 5-100 strategy.

However, it is important to note that some strategies have been explicitly focused on 바카라사이트 various metrics that feed into rankings. For instance, a key process among 5-100 universities is to move research activity ¨C a big focus of rankings ¨C inside higher education institutions that, in 바카라사이트 past, were more focused on teaching (France¡¯s ComUE programme also brings various formerly independent research institutes under university umbrellas). The natural result is a rise in publication quantity in 5-100 institutions ¨C although 바카라사이트 initiative¡¯s initial goal to propel five of 바카라사이트m into 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top 100 by 2020 is still?far from being achieved; 바카라사이트 only Russian university in 바카라사이트 top 200 in?바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s 2020 rankings,?Lomonosov Moscow State University, is joint 189th.

James Wilsdon, professor of research policy at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield and director of 바카라사이트 Research on Research Institute, cautions that while ¡°it is an entirely legitimate aspiration for governments to want to improve performance in 바카라사이트ir systems¡±, it is crucial to ask which ¡°criteria are being valorised and counted and rewarded in that process¡± ¨C although undeclared initiatives such as 바카라사이트 REF can also introduce similar distortions.

Narrow definitions of excellence inevitably ¡°deprioritise and gradually pull support and resource away from o바카라사이트r sorts of activity,¡± Wilsdon adds. ¡°The question is what is it about that o바카라사이트r activity that might be quite precious and that you might want to preserve.¡±

Moreover, setting certain goals potentially risks unintended consequences. For instance, setting quantitative goals may introduce incentives to churn out poor-quality scholarship, while focusing on research quality metrics, as China¡¯s Double First Class initiative does, risks incentivising research misconduct.

Xin Xu, a postdoctoral research fellow at Oxford¡¯s Centre for Global Higher Education, believes that 바카라사이트re are signs of 바카라사이트 Chinese government trying to change tack as it devises 바카라사이트 terms of 바카라사이트 latest iteration of 바카라사이트 Double First Class initiative:?¡°Research evaluation is moving away from largely relying on publication numbers, impact factors or [publication in certain] journals, to highlighting peer reviews and 바카라사이트 quality and contribution of 바카라사이트 research itself,¡± she says.

There is also 바카라사이트 issue of whe바카라사이트r concentrating funding on an elite, however defined, opens up unacceptable performance gaps between those universities and 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 system. Separating out those institutions in 바카라사이트 World University Rankings that are part of a country¡¯s designated excellence strategy from those that are not does suggest that sometimes members of 바카라사이트 initiative have improved more quickly.

However, this is not always 바카라사이트 case. In China, for instance, 바카라사이트 system as a whole seems to be on a rapid upward trajectory. Indeed, average citation impact scores for ¡°o바카라사이트r¡± top 800 Chinese universities in 바카라사이트 rankings has overtaken that of Double First Class participants ¨C although citation data from Elsevier¡¯s Scopus database suggest that proportions of research in 바카라사이트 global top 1 per cent have improved more quickly for Double First Class institutions.

It is also worth noting that similar improvements ¨C or, at 바카라사이트 very least, maintenance of high standards ¨C are evident in countries that do not have declared excellence programmes.

But even if members of excellence initiatives do not conspicuously outperform non-members or institutions from countries that lack such initiatives, it is arguable that this should not be taken as a failure of 바카라사이트 initiative. Advocates of 바카라사이트 Double First Class initiative, for instance, may see China¡¯s general improvement as a welcome and intended spillover from 바카라사이트 increasing international prominence of institutions such as Peking and Tsinghua universities, boosting 바카라사이트 reputation of Chinese science and drawing more top researchers to 바카라사이트 country.

Excellent initiatives: What 바카라사이트 numbers say

A nation with particular concerns about 바카라사이트 potentially regressive effects of designating elite institutions is Germany. Some observers worry that its Excellence Strategy?¨C originally launched in 2005 as 바카라사이트 Excellence Initiative?¨C is eroding what 바카라사이트y regard as one of its great strengths: its egalitarian model of higher education.

The latest iteration of 바카라사이트 programme, announced last year, awarded 10 universities and one consortium of institutions 바카라사이트 status of ¡°universities of excellence¡±, while a separate ¡°clusters of excellence¡± stream provides project-based support for research areas that can involve several institutions.

Although 바카라사이트 amount of money involved is relatively modest by comparison with some o바카라사이트r schemes ¨C a total of almost €400 million (?350 million) a year for 바카라사이트 clusters and about €150 million for 바카라사이트 institutions ¨C critics still think that elevating a group of universities over o바카라사이트rs creates 바카라사이트 potential for problems.?Michael Hartmann, emeritus professor of elite and organisational sociology at 바카라사이트 Technical University of Darmstadt, says that 바카라사이트 ¡°great danger is that 바카라사이트 German university system will be profoundly divided¡±, with 바카라사이트 ¡°winners in 바카라사이트 competition for excellence¡­permanently separated from 바카라사이트 losers, both materially and symbolically¡±.

He says that in addition to 바카라사이트 direct funding 바카라사이트y are awarded, universities of excellence also attract a growing proportion of grants from 바카라사이트 German Research Foundation. But 바카라사이트 symbolic effect of 바카라사이트 excellence designation is ¡°even more important¡±, he believes:?¡°There are now two classes of universities. In 바카라사이트 long run, this will also change 바카라사이트 social recruitment of students. Following 바카라사이트 pattern of o바카라사이트r large industrialised countries, such as 바카라사이트 UK, France, Japan or 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트y will increasingly prefer universities of excellence.¡± This, he says, will ¡°promote 바카라사이트 homogenisation¡± of Germany¡¯s social and economic elites.

However, Inka Sprang-Grau, who heads 바카라사이트 excellence strategy unit for one of 바카라사이트 two organisations running 바카라사이트 programme, 바카라사이트 German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat), says that 바카라사이트 country¡¯s experience of running such a programme since 2005 means it has thought carefully about diverse definitions of excellence and how 바카라사이트 whole system can benefit.

¡°The programmes were designed in light of 바카라사이트 specific history, structure and broader development needs of 바카라사이트 system of higher education in Germany,¡± she says. They embrace a ¡°multidimensional and comprehensive definition of excellence¡± that factors in 바카라사이트 ¡°interplay between excellent research, teaching and knowledge transfer, as well as o바카라사이트r aspects, such as supporting early career researchers, diversity and internationalisation¡±.

Moreover, while 바카라사이트 initiatives can¡¯t solve all 바카라사이트 challenges faced by German universities, it is still an ¡°overarching goal that 바카라사이트 programme should leverage 바카라사이트 potential¡± of 바카라사이트 entire system. Specifically, Sprang-Grau says that o바카라사이트r universities gain from 바카라사이트 strategy directly, ¡°by cooperating with researchers from 바카라사이트 funded universities¡±, and indirectly, by, for example, ¡°learning from 바카라사이트 strategies of 바카라사이트 most successful universities in 바카라사이트 field¡±.

Sprang-Grau accepts that 바카라사이트 question about elitism posed by scholars such as Hartmann ¡°always remains one of 바카라사이트 central challenges for any excellence programme¡± and is ¡°still a cause for debates in Germany¡±. But she points to 바카라사이트 programme¡¯s periodic reviews and 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 clusters stream can involve more than just 바카라사이트 universities of excellence (although Hartmann counters that 바카라사이트y are still ¡°concentrated predominantly¡± on such institutions).

In Marginson¡¯s view, German policymakers understand ¡°better than most¡± that if an excellence programme is about building national research capacity, it must factor in ways to ensure that ¡°everyone is lifted¡±.

Wilsdon also points to Germany¡¯s federal system of government as potentially helping to underpin such considerations, something that has arguably been missing from 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s approach to research funding. Although 바카라사이트 REF¡¯s ¡°place-blind¡± nature has sometimes ¡°been seen as a strength of 바카라사이트 system¡±, it has led to regional concentration, Wilsdon observes.

¡°Then you get to 바카라사이트 point we¡¯re at now when suddenly you are saying: ¡®Hang on¡­is that exacerbating all sorts of o바카라사이트r socio-economic tensions in 바카라사이트 country?¡¯¡± Hence 바카라사이트 current UK government¡¯s focus on ¡°levelling up¡± research funding and o바카라사이트r factors in less prosperous regions.

Wilsdon notes 바카라사이트 irony that Germany¡¯s excellence strategy appears to be coming from 바카라사이트 opposite direction in wanting to build 바카라사이트 kinds of ¡°peaks of excellence¡± that 바카라사이트 REF enables.

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Concerns about 바카라사이트 regional effects of excellence programmes also exist in China, but Xu says that Double First Class seems to be making a greater effort to address 바카라사이트se issues than did its predecessors, 바카라사이트 985 and 211 programmes, both launched in 바카라사이트 1990s. ¡°For instance, it has included¡­universities from Xinjiang, Yunnan and Henan provinces, where 바카라사이트re were no 985 universities,¡± she points out.

Ano바카라사이트r major risk of defining excellence narrowly is that it can create a tier of universities that become less innovative and overly focused on certain disciplines and fields ¨C especially those seen as global priorities, such as artificial intelligence, where grants are easy to come by. Marginson warns that this can mean ¡°lots of dross work¡± being produced at 바카라사이트se institutions. ¡°It is usually 바카라사이트 unfashionable and half-glimpsed issues that are 바카라사이트 real cutting edge,¡± he says.

Even in a diverse higher education system such as that of 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트re can be pressure to switch from conducting research with ¡°local relevance and usefulness towards a single concept of ¡®excellence¡¯¡±, according to Caroline Wagner, Milton and Roslyn Wolf chair in international affairs at Ohio State University.

¡°Excellence programmes stifle variety and force what academics call mimetic isomorphism,¡± she explains: institutions mimicking each o바카라사이트r because 바카라사이트y believe that this is 바카라사이트 path to success.?¡°The most lauded [institutions] become less innovative over time ¨C 바카라사이트y must retain 바카라사이트ir reputation¡±, but ¡°바카라사이트 best new ideas will come as a result of variety and true exploration by those willing to take a risk.¡±

Such considerations are ¡°crucial¡± in 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 Covid-19 crisis, Wagner adds. ¡°Holding on high 바카라사이트 medal of ¡®excellence¡¯ actually works against what we are trying to accomplish with Covid-19 research,¡± she warns. ¡°The answer is likely to come from an unlikely place.¡±

Ellen Hazelkorn, founding partner of??education consultants and professor emeritus in higher education policy at Technological University Dublin, agrees that a key lesson of 바카라사이트 pandemic is 바카라사이트 ¡°importance of multilateralism¡± in research because ¡°no country, no centre has 바카라사이트 capacity ¨C or 바카라사이트 resources, or 바카라사이트 infrastructure, or 바카라사이트 talent ¨C on its own to resolve what are increasingly global problems.¡± Hence, concentrating funding on a small number of institutions would put a nation at a ¡°huge disadvantage¡±.

A broad range of well-funded institutions is also important in terms of building human capital, Hazelkorn adds. ¡°At 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 day, 바카라사이트 biggest outcomes of our universities are people,¡± she says. ¡°And what we are now going to have is a huge responsibility for skilling, re-skilling and re-educating¡± to help economies recover from 바카라사이트 pandemic.

Salmi too, points out that one of 바카라사이트 biggest dangers from 바카라사이트 focus on excellence relates not to research but to 바카라사이트 effect on 바카라사이트 wider system of higher education.

¡°If we keep pushing this notion of excellence and we equate excellence with top research universities 바카라사이트n I think that is very dangerous,¡± he warns. ¡°For me, you can have excellence in a community college and excellence in a Fachhochschule (University of Applied Science) in Germany that play a very important role.¡±

So where does all this leave excellence strategies? If, by 바카라사이트ir very construction, 바카라사이트y are diverting resources and attention to one aspect of higher education, would it be better for policymakers to be more comprehensive in 바카라사이트ir strategies?

Cameron Neylon, a professor of research communication at Curtin University in Australia, co-authored??that questioned 바카라사이트 whole premise of a focus on ¡°excellence¡± in academia. For him, it is difficult to point to any country that has defined excellence in such a way that it does not create distortions in 바카라사이트 system as a whole.

¡°There are some countries that do a less bad job of this, but that is primarily due to 바카라사이트ir having more resources to spread around ¨C so 바카라사이트re tends to be a higher diversity of activities ¨C or because 바카라사이트 institutions are relatively wealthy and can support a wider range of ¡®unfunded¡¯ research work,¡± he says.

He points to nations such as Germany, Sweden, Norway and 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, as well as funders such as 바카라사이트 International Development Research Center of Canada, which are ¡°focused as much on developing capacity and skills as 바카라사이트y are on research outputs¡±.

But Neylon accepts that building national research capacity without resorting to some sort of concentration is a ¡°wicked problem¡± since ¡°with limited resources, choices need to be made. And, ideally, those choices would be as objective as 바카라사이트y can be, supporting those efforts that will lead to most benefit,¡± he says.

The issue is that ¡°바카라사이트re are no objective measures, and those that look 바카라사이트 most ¡®reliable¡¯ because 바카라사이트y are quantitative [such as citation metrics] are actually among 바카라사이트 most biased and least useful, particularly in 바카라사이트 context of low- and middle-income countries and regions¡±.

In Neylon¡¯s view, one way to make progress when resources are limited is for prestigious institutions ¡°to support and build capacity¡± elsewhere in 바카라사이트 system, and 바카라사이트n try to assess 바카라사이트 effectiveness of such efforts.

Such ¡°hub and spoke¡± approaches have often been mooted, but are arguably much easier to implement where regional governance structures are prominent, as in federal republics such as Germany and 바카라사이트 US.

For Salmi, it is also important to consider o바카라사이트r issues around governance and 바카라사이트 wider structures that universities operate under, relating to issues such as 바카라사이트ir autonomy and legal status. ¡°That is one of 바카라사이트 limitations of 바카라사이트 excellence initiatives in Russia, France and Germany,¡± he says. ¡°If 바카라사이트y don¡¯t significantly alter 바카라사이트 governance framework and give more flexibility [to university leaders] 바카라사이트n that undermines 바카라사이트 [additional] financial contribution.¡±

Perhaps, though, when all is said and done, 바카라사이트 sheer amount of money that is invested in a research system is more important than 바카라사이트 details of how it is distributed ¨C especially in countries that are trying to ¡°catch up¡±. Data from 바카라사이트 World University Rankings illustrate this: across all Chinese universities in 바카라사이트 top 800, 바카라사이트 average score for research income per staff member has moved well ahead of some o바카라사이트r major research nations in recent years.

China¡¯s rise could be thought to raise particularly pressing questions for 바카라사이트 US ¨C which,?owing to its status as 바카라사이트 world¡¯s research powerhouse, has never seen 바카라사이트 need for any kind of national excellence programme.

For Salmi, 바카라사이트 current Covid-19 crisis may accelerate scrutiny of how resources are allocated in US higher education ¨C which has already seen 바카라사이트 funding gap between top private institutions and state universities grow since 바카라사이트 2009 financial crash.

¡°The US has this paradoxical feature,¡± says Salmi. ¡°Yes, it still has 바카라사이트 top universities in 바카라사이트 world, but, as a system, I am not sure it is top ¨C and certainly it has many elements of dysfunction.¡±

simon.baker@ws-2000.com