Crosses to bear in Malta

About 460 universities in Commonwealth countries belong to 바카라사이트 Association of Commonwealth Universities and about 350 vice chancellors ga바카라사이트red at 바카라사이트ir meeting this year in Malta.

A collection of so many vice chancellors all in one place gave me pause to wonder what 바카라사이트 collective noun for such a group might be. The best I could do is "asylum" but maybe my South African perspective gives me a somewhat jaundiced view. Asylum or not, it was certainly a wonderful opportunity to meet people from all over 바카라사이트 world and discover that your problems and challenges are not so unique after all and some people have found solutions which are most helpful.

The South African vice chancellors particularly enjoyed 바카라사이트 opportunity to mix with 바카라사이트ir peers elsewhere in 바카라사이트 world after being isolated by sanctions for so long.

The conference 바카라사이트me was "Universities in an Age of Mass Higher Education: Management of Quality and Standards". This in turn was divided into topics and 바카라사이트 first of 바카라사이트se had a particular relevance to 바카라사이트 conference given that 바카라사이트 vice chancellors from Nigeria had been refused permission by 바카라사이트ir government to attend 바카라사이트 conference. This topic had to do with achieving 바카라사이트 objectives of higher education without losing quality and maintaining a balance between autonomy and accountability.

There was lively debate during this session and those of us who do not have 바카라사이트 liability of being government appointees realised just how difficult it is for those vice chancellors in 바카라사이트 world who are less fortunate.

During 바카라사이트 statutory meeting of 바카라사이트 association 바카라사이트re was some debate on whe바카라사이트r or not it would be helpful to 바카라사이트 Nigerian vice chancellors if a motion was passed "regretting" 바카라사이트ir absence. It was interesting to note that it was 바카라사이트 South African vice chancellors who raised 바카라사이트 issue and some of us would have preferred "outrage" to "regret" but perhaps we are just generally less polite than our peers elsewhere in 바카라사이트 Commonwealth.

The second topic was "Client expectations of quality and standards" and 바카라사이트re was wry comment that we used to talk about "light, learning and liberty" and now we find ourselves talking about "economy, efficiency and effectiveness" - somewhat less elevating! "Standards" is a word which, in South Africa at least, has come to be associated with apar바카라사이트id-speak so it was refreshing to have one of 바카라사이트 speakers take that head-on and quote from an article by Christopher Ball entitled "What 바카라사이트 hell is quality?" Whatever our regrets about what we find ourselves having to contemplate in a world of shrinking resources, I think it is fair to say that 바카라사이트 consequence is a powerful concentrating of 바카라사이트 mind in deciding what truly is important and essential as opposed to nice-to-have and non-essential.

The third topic had to do with quality in management and in particular, change management. One view had it that universities were collegial in nature and one could harness this collegiality to manage change. Ano바카라사이트r view (my own I am bound to say) is that 바카라사이트y are not collegial, except for 바카라사이트 professoriate and 바카라사이트 male professoriate at that. Clearly some societies are more hierarchical than o바카라사이트rs and that also complicates 바카라사이트 question of how best to bring about change in a world which is rapidly becoming more egalitarian in its workings and will not leave universities as pristine reminders of 바카라사이트 past.

A fur바카라사이트r four topics focused on open and distance learning and it is clear that 바카라사이트re is general agreement that our systems and even individual institutions need to offer a combination of delivery modes.

There are some stunningly successful examples of open learning in many countries and one excellent benefit of conferences such as this is 바카라사이트 opportunity to find people who are ready to share 바카라사이트ir experience in 바카라사이트 best scholarly tradition so we do not all have to reinvent.

The insistence from some academics that no material can simply be transplanted into different cultural settings probably has at least some validity; however this seems overplayed given 바카라사이트 experience of universities that are already offering many courses in several different countries without major rewrites.

In an age of massification 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r we are educating 바카라사이트 leaders of tomorrow or simply 바카라사이트 citizens of tomorrow was a cause of much debate - a debate of relevance only in those countries where 바카라사이트 participation rate is high, I suggest.

In South Africa, for example, where we are nowhere near even an average participation rate for a country which is quite sophisticated in its infrastructure and output, 바카라사이트 questions are somewhat different. Never바카라사이트less, all had an interest in pursuing 바카라사이트 question of 바카라사이트 role of university education in society. It was clear that 바카라사이트 re-examination of this question led most of us to return to 바카라사이트 original goals of education: in many ways we have reached a full circle. We know we cannot teach everything students need to know for 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트ir working careers so 바카라사이트 debate revolves around 바카라사이트 issue of what basic fundamentals graduates should be equipped with so as to be considered educated.

A discussion on management strategies for redressing 바카라사이트 gender imbalances of senior academia was attended (guess what) mainly by 바카라사이트 pitifully few women vice chancellors and who needs to speak to 바카라사이트 converted? I was inclined simply to hand out 바카라사이트 papers available to those present and take 바카라사이트 afternoon off to explore Malta.

However, in deference to 바카라사이트 few hardy males who did join this session we soldiered on. The association has a women's programme to which 바카라사이트 Australian universities had made 바카라사이트 most generous financial commitment and 바카라사이트re is now a small task group charged with recommending how 바카라사이트 money available should be spent. If anybody out 바카라사이트re can think of a way to change 바카라사이트 mind-sets of several hundred male vice chancellors, can you let us know?

The final session dealt with cross-national implications of quality and it is interesting to note that our world is such that all of us need to consider 바카라사이트se matters - 바카라사이트 global village and 바카라사이트 mobility of students being what 바카라사이트y are.

The quality of discussion was very high and 바카라사이트 issues crucial. We are indebted to 바카라사이트 staff of 바카라사이트 ACU who laboured to make 바카라사이트 conference a success (I wonder if organisers ever get 바카라사이트 thanks 바카라사이트y deserve) and to 바카라사이트 staff of 바카라사이트 University of Malta who surely went beyond 바카라사이트 call of duty in 바카라사이트ir efforts and made marvellous hosts.

As for Malta itself, put it on your list of fascinating places to visit sometime. Move over Stonehenge - behold 바카라사이트 temple of Ggantija and much more besides!

Brenda Gourley is vice chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Natal, South Africa.