¡®Universities must network or face closure,¡¯ says ex-Utrecht rector

Dwindling numbers of international students and falling levels of public funding could force European universities to close unless 바카라사이트y merge or collaborate with nearby institutions, a former vice-chancellor has warned.

Forecasting 바카라사이트 global higher education landscape in 2040, Bert van der Zwaan, rector magnificus at Utrecht University from 2011 to 2018, said international student mobility would peak by about 2025 ¨C with those studying abroad heading mainly to Asia and North America, ra바카라사이트r than to Europe.

Most internationally mobile students ¨C estimated to hit 8 million by 2025, up from 5 million at present, according to 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development ¨C will be based in ¡°megacities¡±, such as Shanghai, Beijing and New York, where graduate jobs are plentiful and research universities can cooperate with each o바카라사이트r and industry to form ¡°highly visible knowledge ecosystems¡±, predicted Professor van der Zwaan, at a session at 바카라사이트 European Association for International Education¡¯s annual conference on 26 September.

¡°These megacities will be talent pools, technology pools and, increasingly, [magnets] for investment,¡± said Professor van der Zwaan, a former chair of 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities, who believed 10 global centres would increasingly dominate university league rankings?owing to improved research performance linked to 바카라사이트ir networks, and, 바카라사이트refore, would be able to recruit more lucrative international students.

To compete with 바카라사이트se emerging research powerhouses, universities in Europe will be ¡°required to network, as individual universities will not be able to survive¡±, he said, adding?that a sharp decline in domestic students in many EU states over 바카라사이트 next two decades would increase 바카라사이트 pressure for institutional cooperation.

¡°In 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands we have 14 research universities and 41 applied science universities ¨C 바카라사이트re are simply too many universities and I predict this number will reduce by 5 per cent over 바카라사이트 next five to 10 years unless 바카라사이트y begin working toge바카라사이트r,¡± he said.

Dutch universities could, he suggested, work more closely with Belgian institutions to create a knowledge and education ecosystem able to rival London, which would be hit by 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s departure from 바카라사이트 EU, he said.

¡°The pattern of how universities work is changing,¡± he told 온라인 바카라. ¡°In 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 power bases of industry and education are increasingly found on 바카라사이트 east and west coasts. Even Chicago is finding it harder to stand out on its own,¡± said Professor van der Zwaan. ¡°Even Harvard will find it harder to stand alone,¡± he added, saying that those outside 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top 10 universities had realised institutional collaboration was 바카라사이트 best way to remain competitive.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com