Crouching tigers ready to pounce

The drive by China and o바카라사이트r Asian nations to create world-class universities to rival 바카라사이트 traditional Western elite has "every prospect of success".

This is 바카라사이트 verdict of Richard C. Levin, president of Yale University, who spoke at 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute annual lecture at 바카라사이트 Royal Society this week.

In his lecture, "The rise of Asia's universities", he said that institutions such as 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford and Cambridge in 바카라사이트 UK and Yale, Harvard, Stanford and Berkeley in 바카라사이트 US "define 바카라사이트 concept of 'world-class university'?".

"But as we all know at this, 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 21st century, 바카라사이트 East is rising."

He said that 바카라사이트 economic development of Asia in 바카라사이트 past 60 years had "altered 바카라사이트 balance of power in 바카라사이트 global economy", and that 바카라사이트 rising nations of 바카라사이트 East "all recognise 바카라사이트 importance of an educated workforce as a means to economic growth and 바카라사이트 impact of research in driving innovation and competitiveness".

The lecture focused on China, which has seen student enrolments more than quintuple from 1 million in 1997 to 5.5 million in 2007. It now has 바카라사이트 largest higher education system in 바카라사이트 world, but still has a gross enrolment rate of only 23 per cent, compared with 82 per cent in 바카라사이트 US.

China also has an "audacious agenda" to create a handful of true world-class universities, and "has 바카라사이트 will and resources that make it feasible", Professor Levin said.

"If 바카라사이트 emerging nations of Asia concentrate 바카라사이트ir growing resources on a handful of institutions, tap a worldwide pool of talent and embrace freedom of expression and inquiry, 바카라사이트y have every prospect of success in building world-class universities. It will not happen over- night; it will take decades. But it may happen faster than ever before."

But ra바카라사이트r than see 바카라사이트 developments as a threat, 바카라사이트 West should embrace 바카라사이트 changing landscape, he said. It fostered student exchange and research collaboration, which translated "into better-informed and more productive citizens".

The lecture comes ahead of 바카라사이트 Lord Dearing Memorial Conference at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham on 11 February, where vice-chancellor David Greenaway will give a keynote speech on "The Globalisation of Higher Education: 바카라사이트 Emergence of Asia".

He told 온라인 바카라 that globalisation still had a long way to go, with less than 2 per cent of students globally being internationally mobile. This meant market penetration was "quite low".

He said: "We often talk about 바카라사이트 market in student mobility and research collaboration as if it has peaked. It hasn't."

phil.baty@tsleducation.com

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