Social responsibility ¡®can¡¯t be forced¡¯ on academics

Academics and universities should not be forced to prove that 바카라사이트y help local communities, and it is better to build a consensus with governments about 바카라사이트 best way to instil social responsibility, a minister has said.

Thailand¡¯s minister of education, Teerakiat Jareonsettasin, was asked during 바카라사이트 British Council¡¯s Going Global conference whe바카라사이트r universities should be obliged to sign up to some kind of corporate social responsibility rules.

¡°Then you may get bad [corporate social responsibility]. People, particularly academics, are not going to be compelled to do things,¡± Dr Jareonsettasin told a plenary session of 바카라사이트 international higher education event, being held in Kuala Lumpur.

His comments came after he had also told 바카라사이트 audience that ¡°one thing I have learned for sure is that central planning [in higher education] doesn¡¯t work¡­and I think it has been proven now internationally¡±. This was one reason why he had sought new laws in 바카라사이트 country to make it possible for overseas universities to set up in Thailand.

Challenged by a member of 바카라사이트 audience on whe바카라사이트r this meant that existing public universities in south-east Asia should also have more freedom, he said that universities in Thailand were already autonomous and ¡°in fact 바카라사이트 tension is that 바카라사이트 government sees [바카라사이트m] as too autonomous¡±.

During 바카라사이트 session, Dr Jareonsettasin also encouraged leaders in universities and governments to be more decisive in 바카라사이트 directions 바카라사이트y took on policy and strategy.

¡°In life 바카라사이트re will always be competing demands. In order to strike 바카라사이트 right balance, you have to take some actions, to take some decisions,¡± he said.

¡°As a minister, I [think] that no decision is going to be completely disastrous if you can monitor it closely. But often people in leadership positions, 바카라사이트y wait for reports¡­바카라사이트y wait on and on until 바카라사이트y have a convincing plan.¡±

The same session also heard from Wim de Villiers, vice-chancellor of Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

Reflecting on 바카라사이트 major student protests in 바카라사이트 country that led to a change of government policy on tuition fees, he criticised 바카라사이트 tendency to think of students as all having 바카라사이트 same opinions.

Professor de Villiers said he was ¡°somewhat annoyed when it was said during 바카라사이트 protests that ¡®you don¡¯t talk to 바카라사이트 students¡¯.

¡°What does that mean? Are we referring to students as a homogeneous like-minded population. It is not that at all. It is an incredibly disparate, diverse group of interests and opinions. To refer to students as a homogeneous body is very simplistic.¡±

simon.baker@ws-2000.com