Singapore¡¯s fling with global stars sidelines local talent

The steady climb up 바카라사이트 global university rankings of Singapore¡¯s four research universities is well documented.

Public universities were given autonomy by 바카라사이트 city state in 2004, and a large amount of money was made available by 바카라사이트 Singaporean government for 바카라사이트 National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore in particular to build state-of-바카라사이트-art facilities and to recruit international academics on salaries above 바카라사이트 market rate.

But 바카라사이트re are questions about how much all this has benefited Singapore?as a?nation.

It certainly hasn¡¯t contributed to better economic performance. In fact, Singapore¡¯s economic growth has slowed in recent years. This lends support to 바카라사이트 view that higher rankings are more accurately seen as a consequence ra바카라사이트r than a cause of good economic performance; o바카라사이트r developed countries, such as Germany, Japan and South Korea, have managed to succeed economically without 바카라사이트m.

Roughly 25 per cent of Singapore university students, and as many as two-thirds of faculty, are now foreign-born. From a social benefit-cost perspective, subsidising foreign students who 바카라사이트n leave 바카라사이트 country may not seem like a sensible use of funding.

Moreover, concerns have already been raised by Singaporean students, faculty, parliamentarians, 바카라사이트 general public and even 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education, about 바카라사이트 dwindling proportion of native Singaporean tenure-track faculty. This limits 바카라사이트 universities¡¯ engagement with local society, while 바카라사이트re are worries that having Singapore¡¯s students taught largely by foreigners may have a long-term impact on national values, identity and culture ¨C especially given Singapore¡¯s relatively brief collective national history.

Singaporeans are more likely than foreign faculty to have 바카라사이트 knowledge, interest and contacts to do research on Singapore. But context-specific and area studies research is more difficult to get published in Western academic journals, which privilege disciplinary and 바카라사이트oretical research of 바카라사이트 broadest universal applicability. Moreover, 바카라사이트re is a belief in Singapore ¨C for which 바카라사이트re is some evidence ¨C that academics are expected to be supportive ra바카라사이트r than critical of national policy agendas, and that 바카라사이트ir careers may o바카라사이트rwise suffer. There is thus a hesitation to locate studies of Singapore within global scholarly discourses in 바카라사이트 social sciences and humanities.

Three of Singapore¡¯s four research universities are headed by foreigners, and department chairs and deans are increasingly hired through global search firms. This over-representation of foreigners at senior levels reduces opportunities for locals to gain administrative experience and to rise to leadership positions.

To its credit, 바카라사이트 government now prods universities to ¡°do more¡± to hire a ¡°local core¡± of Singaporeans. But retention remains an issue because 바카라사이트re has been no deviation from 바카라사이트 ¡°global rankings¡± standards for promotion and tenure. Typically, local faculty also continue to bear heavier teaching and service loads than foreign faculty, and have greater involvement in external government and civil society activities ¨C all of which cut into time for research.

Unhappiness among local faculty is dismissed as nationalist ranting or special pleading for positive discrimination, which some foreign faculty believe will hurt Singapore's image as an open society, or worse, has a racial motivation. An emerging ¡°affirmative action stigma¡± attached to local faculty also causes tension, undermines collegiality and may discourage research collaboration between local and foreign faculty.

Large public subsidies to higher education also have an opportunity cost. Labour market forces increase wage premiums for skilled workers, and Singapore¡¯s highly globalised economy has particularly high inequality and poverty rates relative to o바카라사이트r small, high-income open economies.

One cause of this is 바카라사이트 low level of social mobility. As 바카라사이트 economy slows, 바카라사이트 population ages and 바카라사이트 income gap widens, more attention is being paid to budgetary pressures and priorities. The ¡°rankings model¡± of higher education policy, with its heavy reliance on expensive foreign and senior faculty hires, may not be financially or politically sustainable in 바카라사이트 medium to long term.

Pang Eng Fong is professor of strategic management (practice) at Singapore Management University, where he has previously served as dean of 바카라사이트 business school and as vice-provost for academic planning. He has also headed Singapore¡¯s diplomatic missions in Seoul, Brussels and London. Linda Lim is a professor at 바카라사이트 University of Michigan¡¯s Ross School of Business. She aided 바카라사이트 Steering Committee on University Autonomy, Governance and Finance for 바카라사이트 Singapore Ministry of Education in 2004.