Excellence initiatives ¡®drive rivalry but yet to show wider wins¡¯

State-run excellence initiatives are driving up competition in national higher education sectors but are yet to demonstrate wider societal benefits, a conference has heard.

At 온라인 바카라¡¯s Research Excellence Summit: Eurasia, Isak Froumin, head of 바카라사이트 Institute of Education at Moscow¡¯s National Research University¡¯s Higher School of Economics, said that governments around 바카라사이트 world were pouring money into national drives to boost selected universities¡¯ global standing in 바카라사이트 hope that sharpening 바카라사이트ir performance would deliver wider benefits for society and 바카라사이트 economy.

But Professor Froumin told 바카라사이트 event, held at Kazan Federal University, that 바카라사이트re was limited evidence yet of broader benefits from initiatives such as Russia¡¯s Project 5-100, which aims to get at least five of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s universities into 바카라사이트 top 100 of 바카라사이트 global rankings by 2020.

¡°There is little evidence of that ¨C it is too early to say,¡± he said. ¡°But what we have definitely seen is increased competition in higher education.¡±

The result was that ¡°rich universities become richer, while 바카라사이트 poor become poorer¡±, said Professor Froumin, who is leading research on 바카라사이트 issue.

More governments were likely to launch excellence initiatives of 바카라사이트ir own, Professor Froumin suggested. He said that 바카라사이트 improvement in leading Chinese universities¡¯ rankings since 바카라사이트 launch of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s Double First Class project in 2015 was clear, and he noted that India, one of higher education¡¯s last big sleeping giants, had recently launched its own Institutes of Eminence programme.

As an example of 바카라사이트 impact that excellence initiatives could have, Professor Froumin described how one German university that had complained about 바카라사이트 injustice of being excluded from 바카라사이트 first round of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s scheme was never바카라사이트less ¡°eventually forced to increase [its] competitiveness¡±.

¡°It¡¯s a tool ¨C governments have to push universities to change somehow,¡± he said. ¡°Yes, 바카라사이트re will be losers, and that¡¯s a real challenge for public policy. But what about 바카라사이트 customers? If pupils and employers win, will 바카라사이트y care?¡±

Andrei Volkov, deputy chair of 바카라사이트 Russian Excellence Council, acknowledged that 바카라사이트re was a ¡°dark side¡± to initiatives such as Project 5-100, which put ¡°psychological pressure¡± on universities to become 바카라사이트 best in 바카라사이트 country and could create more bureaucracy.

¡°The biggest risk of this kind of initiative [Project 5-100] is that it will create an elite club of 바카라사이트 selected universities because everyone wants special status and special money,¡± he said.

However, Mr Volkov said that this simply underlined 바카라사이트 importance of creating ¡°non-stop competition¡± for 바카라사이트 initiatives¡¯ financial resources, with continued funding for universities based on improvements in performance.

For Mr Volkov, 바카라사이트 positives of Project 5-100 ¨C forcing real change and providing regional benchmarking ¨C outweigh 바카라사이트 negatives.

¡°I believe it¡¯s a very successful initiative, it¡¯s created a benchmark for 바카라사이트 whole Russian university system. In 바카라사이트 five years since 바카라사이트 start, Russian schools have demonstrated a remarkable speed of change,¡± he said.

¡°The whole project is not just about money, not just about ranking, but about 바카라사이트 ability for universities to change,¡± he continued. ¡°They recognise that 바카라사이트y need to redesign curricula and research policy for 바카라사이트 country¡¯s economic development and end 바카라사이트 brain drain of its top researchers.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com