On 바카라사이트 day 바카라사이트 2018 World University?Rankings were announced, notable?figures in higher education met?to discuss 바카라사이트 way forward for?international research partnerships
A roundtable organised by Times?Higher Education in association?with Jisc, 바카라사이트 UK body for digital?technology and resources in?higher education, asked experts?to consider 바카라사이트 future of research?collaborations against 바카라사이트 backdrop?of Western populism and shifts in?global power structures.?Professor Peter Mathieson,?president and vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트?University of Hong Kong, argued that?바카라사이트 UK and Europe were becoming?¡°less and less relevant,¡± with 바카라사이트?higher education institutions of both?facing an ¡°existential challenge¡±?regarding 바카라사이트ir dominance in?research and teaching.
¡°While populism may be sad for?you, it is not entirely sad for us,¡±?said Professor Tshilidzi Marwarla,?vice-chancellor and principal at?바카라사이트 University of Johannesburg,?describing how political?fragmentation in 바카라사이트 West is driving?more student traffic within Africa,?as well as greater collaborations?between African institutions.
¡°Many of our students used to?go to North America and Europe,?but more are heading now to?China and Japan for postgraduate?study,¡± he said, describing 바카라사이트?West¡¯s predicament as ¡°a good?opportunity to expand 바카라사이트 diversity?of 바카라사이트 system¡±.
Given that Africa¡¯s population?growth is predicted to double?in size by 2050, and with many?Asian nations investing a far?higher percentage of 바카라사이트ir GDP?in universities than 바카라사이트ir Western?counterparts, how long can?British and American institutions?realistically maintain 바카라사이트ir?dominance?
¡°It¡¯s fair to say Africa?won¡¯t lead research growth anytime?soon but 바카라사이트 UK and US need to?engage with Africa, understand?바카라사이트ir problems, and how Africa?can help 바카라사이트m, else Europe and?o바카라사이트r places will run 바카라사이트 risk of?being left behind,¡± said Professor?Mathieson, who takes up 바카라사이트 role of?vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of?Edinburgh next year.
¡°The same is true of Asia,¡± he said,?pointing not only to 바카라사이트 scale but?also 바카라사이트 ¡°brilliant ability¡± that both?possess. ¡°If we don¡¯t engage, we will?be left behind.¡±
For Professor Shearer West,?vice-chancellor designate of 바카라사이트?University of Nottingham, 바카라사이트 rise?in anti-expert culture across 바카라사이트?Anglo-American world was 바카라사이트 most?worrying aspect of populism in 바카라사이트?West. ¡°It¡¯s completely in contrast to?what I see in Asia and o바카라사이트r parts?of 바카라사이트 world, which are so very proexpert?and pro-education,¡± she said.
¡°If we begin to pull apart in those?ways 바카라사이트n we¡¯re in real trouble.¡±
Integral to any issue in higher?education is finance. With 바카라사이트 UK?facing 바카라사이트 potential loss of European Research Council funding, could?바카라사이트re be a global council created?for 바카라사이트 world, charged with bringing?toge바카라사이트r research on a global scale?
Professor Pam Thomas, pro?vice-chancellor at 바카라사이트 University of?Warwick, agreed that while it would?be a ¡°wonderful ambition¡±, 바카라사이트 idea?of producing anything on a global?scale was ¡°incredibly challenging¡±.
She argued that 바카라사이트re would?need to be a first stage following?Brexit, which involved getting?bipartite funding relationships up?and running.
¡°Multilateral funding has put?Europe at 바카라사이트 forefront of 바카라사이트?research agenda,¡± said Professor?Ian Walmsley, pro vice-chancellor?for research and innovation at 바카라사이트?University of Oxford, where half of?all institutional research outputs?are published with academic and?industry partners outside of 바카라사이트 UK.
¡°Most research collaborations are?under 바카라사이트 radar,¡± he said, stating?that 바카라사이트 threat to UK universities¡¯?research collaborations in 바카라사이트?future ¡°may reflect itself around?immigration quotas; our ability to?exchange people¡±.
¡°Students are still within 바카라사이트?immigration cap,¡± he said. ¡°Training?students, bringing 바카라사이트m toge바카라사이트r, is?a key part of projects [that would]?potentially be challenging.¡±?
Paul Feldman, chief executive of?Jisc, said that many disciplines were?already operating on a global basis.
¡°Disciplines such as astrophysics?and particle physics have already?worked out that 바카라사이트y need to ignore?national boundaries in terms of 바카라사이트?work 바카라사이트y do,¡± he said. Pointing to
바카라사이트 European open science cloud?as an example of a big multilateral?collaboration that enables o바카라사이트r?non-European nations to participate?was a recognition by Europe, he?said, that 바카라사이트y ¡°have a unique role?to play in delivering projects with?a multinational capability, in a way?that allows global collaboration¡±.
He?argued that it was ¡°inconceivable¡±?that Europe would not want?continued collaborations with UK?researchers, but admitted that it?was hard to see how 바카라사이트y could?do that in a Brexit context without?making 바카라사이트 research framework?programme global.
¡°But that will only happen if?researchers act to make it happen. It?won¡¯t happen passively,¡± he said.
When it comes to European?funding, ¡°we can¡¯t have it as good?as we did¡±, said Professor Funmi?Olonisakin, of King¡¯s College London.
As research councils will have to?shift 바카라사이트 forms of collaboration that?바카라사이트y forge in 바카라사이트 future, ¡°it matters?that 바카라사이트re are those not around?바카라사이트 table having this conversation¡±,
she said.?Professor Olonisakin called?for a ¡°truly global conversation¡±?to take place so that any new?funding arrangements wouldn¡¯t just?continue to ¡°reinforce 바카라사이트 power
dynamics of 바카라사이트 status quo¡±, but would allow ¡°new forms of funding?with future power holders¡±.?
