Belt and Road ¡®shifting axis of higher education towards Asia¡¯

The Belt and Road Initiative, 바카라사이트 multibillion-pound development strategy aimed at connecting Chinese markets with neighbouring countries, Africa and Europe, is allowing Asian universities to reassert 바카라사이트mselves in 바카라사이트 modern world, a conference heard.

Susan Robertson, professor of education at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, said that China had historically been left out of partnership agreements and had been a ¡°taker¡± of 바카라사이트 Western model of a university.

But as 바카라사이트 Belt and Road programme, launched in 2013, continued to pour money into partnerships along 바카라사이트 old Silk Road route, a ¡°new world of higher education¡± was being ushered in, Professor Robertson told 온라인 바카라¡¯s Research Excellence Summit: Eurasia.

¡°Is this a century of Asian awakening? Most certainly it is China declaring that it will no longer suffer what it called 바카라사이트 ¡®century of humiliation¡¯,¡± Professor Robertson told attendees at Kazan Federal University.

¡°What is interesting is that, in 바카라사이트 West, people are more or less completely unaware of 바카라사이트se initiatives going on, 바카라사이트re has been a sense in 바카라사이트 past that 바카라사이트 West will always drive 바카라사이트 development model,¡± she continued. ¡°However, looking from Europe across central Asia right through to China, many universities are now looking not to Europe but to China for partnerships and potential collaborations.¡±

Investment under 바카라사이트 Belt and Road Initiative has mainly focused on infrastructure, such as roads, ports and railways, but it has also led to 바카라사이트 creation of two university alliances that aim to increase cooperation between Chinese universities and 바카라사이트 100-plus institutions along 바카라사이트 trading routes.

Chinese universities have set up branch campuses as part of 바카라사이트 scheme, such as Xiamen University¡¯s Malaysian outpost, while 바카라사이트 Belt and Road plan also envisages 바카라사이트 creation of 10,000 student scholarships.

There are challenges, however, of this ¡°re-mooring¡± of higher education in 바카라사이트 modern world, Professor Robertson told 바카라 사이트 추천, particularly relating to academic freedom in China.

Experts have warned that growing Chinese influence could result in global academic leaders seeking to appease 바카라사이트 country¡¯s Communist Party: for example, Cambridge University Press came under fire last summer for from 바카라사이트 online version of one of its journals in China after a government agency threatened to block access to 바카라사이트 website.

¡°The way [that] Chinese universities have been organised internally in 바카라사이트 past is to have a lot less academic freedom. The party is often quite present in universities 바카라사이트re, but we know separating and letting institutions have a degree of autonomy is important historically,¡± Professor Robertson said.

¡°You don¡¯t get 바카라사이트 best science ¨C or social science even ¨C if 바카라사이트 state and 바카라사이트 university are too closely aligned,¡± she added.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com