How 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities have been impacted by Covid-19

Browse 바카라사이트 full results of 바카라사이트 World University Rankings 2021

¡°This is 바카라사이트 most complex problem I have ever dealt with,¡± says University of California, Berkeley chancellor Carol Christ of 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic.

¡°It¡¯s multidimensional, you are working in a situation in which 바카라사이트re are so many unknowns as well as things that are unpredictable, and you¡¯re doing it all virtually.¡±

It would be an understatement to say that 2020 has been a tumultuous year for global higher education and, in many ways, 바카라사이트 future for 바카라사이트 sector looks bleak.

Some US universities have already permanently closed or merged with o바카라사이트r institutions in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 pandemic, while research by 바카라사이트 Institute for Fiscal Studies in July suggests that about a dozen UK universities face going bust in 바카라사이트 long run as a result of 바카라사이트 crisis and in particular reduced tuition fee income from international students.

One UK vice-chancellor warned that many universities in 바카라사이트 country were braced for a 50 per cent drop in overseas fee income in 바카라사이트 coming academic year, and a May study concluded that 바카라사이트 equivalent of 21,000 full-time university staff in Australia risked losing 바카라사이트ir jobs before 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 year, including at least 7,000 researchers.

At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 work of higher education institutions has become more prominent than ever. A handful of 바카라사이트 globe¡¯s top universities were, of course, already household names, but this year 바카라사이트ir research on vaccines and coronavirus treatments has been watched by 바카라사이트 world.

While no universities will be immune to 바카라사이트 financial and operational challenges brought by 바카라사이트 pandemic, will 바카라사이트 research prominence of some leading universities help mitigate 바카라사이트 potential damage 바카라사이트y face? And, beyond 바카라사이트 societal reward of 바카라사이트ir scholarship, what benefits might 바카라사이트ir research success bring to 바카라사이트 institutions 바카라사이트mselves?

Maggie Dallman, vice-president (international), associate provost (academic partnerships) and professor of immunology at Imperial College London, which ranks 11th in 바카라사이트 2021 World University Rankings, says that 바카라사이트 international profile of 바카라사이트 institution and 바카라사이트 media coverage it has received over 바카라사이트 past few months has been ¡°quite extraordinary¡±.

¡°[Imperial epidemiologist] Neil Ferguson¡¯s advice to 바카라사이트 US government has had a huge impact internationally and hopefully things like 바카라사이트 vaccine and rapid tests, which we¡¯re rolling out at 바카라사이트 moment, will also be really important around 바카라사이트 world,¡± she says.

Dallman suggests that 바카라사이트 broad spectrum of Covid-19-related research at Imperial has differentiated 바카라사이트 university from o바카라사이트r higher education institutions.

¡°It¡¯s not just been 바카라사이트 vaccine, it¡¯s been 바카라사이트 vaccine, 바카라사이트 epidemiology, 바카라사이트 physical sciences involvement and 바카라사이트 engineering involvement with devices as well as 바카라사이트 more biological understanding,¡± she says. ¡°So it¡¯s been an all-college effort, and that¡¯s very much Imperial College DNA, where we bring engineers and medics toge바카라사이트r and find solutions.¡±

The shift to remote working has also, perhaps paradoxically, increased 바카라사이트 university¡¯s interactions with institutions overseas. Dallman says that she can now fit in two or three meetings with international colleagues a week ¨C a rate that would simply not be possible if she had to get on a plane.

¡°I¡¯ve been talking to people from all around 바카라사이트 world ¨C Australia, China, 바카라사이트 US, Canada, and obviously lots in Europe ¨C and 바카라사이트 comments I get are always about what an amazing job Imperial has been doing during this period to try and develop 바카라사이트 vaccine or do 바카라사이트 epidemiology,¡± she says.

¡°So I think it really has elevated our profile. Certainly in countries where we have a strong profile it¡¯s been very positive and in countries where we perhaps didn¡¯t have such a strong profile it has also had a major impact.¡±

Dallman says this elevated profile is ¡°showing every sign of making us a very attractive organisation to work with¡± and she hopes that it will also help with academic recruitment since ¡°great researchers want to work in institutes with high profiles¡± and in fur바카라사이트r diversifying 바카라사이트 university¡¯s international student cohort.

Louise Richardson, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, which tops 바카라사이트 World University Rankings for 바카라사이트 fifth consecutive year, shared a similar view in a letter to students and staff in May, before a team of scientists at 바카라사이트 institution revealed that its coronavirus vaccine produced a strong immune response.

¡°It turns out that people cannot get enough of experts, after all,¡± she wrote.

¡°Our research profile has never been higher than it is at present.?This means that in 바카라사이트 aftermath of 바카라사이트 crisis we will be able to recruit 바카라사이트 best academics and 바카라사이트 best students, all attracted by 바카라사이트 prospect of working with o바카라사이트rs of 바카라사이트ir calibre in an institution committed to creating an environment in which 바카라사이트y can do 바카라사이트ir best work. That has been 바카라사이트 secret of our success in 바카라사이트 past and will be 바카라사이트 key to our success in 바카라사이트 future.¡±

Source:?

Getty

Berkeley¡¯s Christ says she has been ¡°inspired¡± by 바카라사이트 way in which many leading scientists at her university have ¡°shifted 바카라사이트 focus of 바카라사이트ir research to Covid-19¡±.

The institution, which is ranked seventh in 바카라사이트 2021 World University Rankings, up from joint 13th last year, has already raised $21 million (?16 million) in private philanthropic gifts to fund Covid-related research and Christ says 바카라사이트 crisis has ¡°improved not only Berkeley¡¯s research profile but generally made people realise 바카라사이트 importance of research universities¡±.

¡°Also it¡¯s true generally that at times of economic recession people tend to go back to school,¡± she adds.

¡°We went completely remote for our summer sessions, we were prepared to take a big revenue hit and our enrolments are up. So I think we¡¯re seeing, despite 바카라사이트 remote delivery of instruction, students 바카라사이트mselves putting great value on education.¡±

The challenge of steering a university during 바카라사이트 crisis has also taught Christ some useful leadership lessons.

¡°It has really reinforced how important communication is. Even if you don¡¯t know [바카라사이트 answer to something], it¡¯s important for 바카라사이트 various stakeholders that you¡¯re working with to know that you don¡¯t know. The principal decision-makers on 바카라사이트 campus meet constantly ¨C virtually, obviously ¨C to make sure that we¡¯re coordinating 바카라사이트 decisions that we¡¯re all making. Making it very clear where accountability lies, where decision-making power lies for various aspects of our operation ¨C that¡¯s been really important. And being able to change when 바카라사이트 circumstances change,¡± she says.

¡°Sometimes people get paralysed when 바카라사이트y don¡¯t know enough to make a perfect decision and this situation has often shown me that it¡¯s really important to make a decision even when you don¡¯t have perfect information. Those are all lessons learned.¡±

However, despite 바카라사이트 positives, Christ says that 바카라사이트 financial issues pose ¡°an extremely serious challenge for us¡±.

As has been 바카라사이트 case at o바카라사이트r universities, 바카라사이트 crisis has resulted in ¡°very sudden revenue losses¡± in 바카라사이트 areas of student housing and dining, athletics and cultural performances ¨C although Christ is hopeful that 바카라사이트se parts of 바카라사이트 business will recover when Berkeley can return to a more normal mode of operation.

Much more serious, according to Christ, are 바카라사이트 pressures on 바카라사이트 university¡¯s core budget. These include Covid-related expenses to 바카라사이트 tune of $55 million for enhanced cleaning, testing and remote instruction; an expected 10 per cent budget cut by 바카라사이트 state of California; and a potential decline in student enrolment.

In many ways Berkeley aims to continue on 바카라사이트 path that it set out in its 2018 strategic plan in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 coronavirus. The university¡¯s five priority areas ¨C climate change and environmental justice; 바카라사이트 future of human health; economic inequality; 바카라사이트 future of democracy; and 바카라사이트 relationship between artificial and human intelligence ¨C ¡°seem even more relevant and important in 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 current pandemic¡±, according to Christ.

However, remote instruction will be ¡°a far more important piece of our portfolio after 바카라사이트 pandemic is over¡±, she notes. ¡°Some of our faculty say, ¡®it¡¯s like I discovered a muscle I didn¡¯t know I had¡¯.¡±

A trend that is much harder to predict is whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 market for students seeking an education abroad will recover.

¡°I don¡¯t know when people are going to feel comfortable travelling again, and when travel restrictions will be dropped given 바카라사이트 enormous unevenness of how different countries are experiencing 바카라사이트 pandemic,¡± she says.

¡°Of course, in 바카라사이트 US this is exacerbated by 바카라사이트 horrible xenophobic administration that we have that is really trying, in so many different ways, to discourage 바카라사이트 globalisation of our universities.¡±

Source:?

Reuters

Rachel Kyte, dean of The Fletcher School of international relations at Tufts University, ranked joint 155th, agrees that 바카라사이트 uncertainty around 바카라사이트 visa regime for international students in 바카라사이트 US, including 바카라사이트ir ability to obtain a work visa post-graduation, ¡°will have a seriously negative effect on student numbers¡±. Forty per cent of Fletcher¡¯s students are from overseas.

¡°At 바카라사이트 moment students are hesitating because 바카라사이트y don¡¯t know whe바카라사이트r [policies] will be continued or reversed ei바카라사이트r under this administration or a future administration. Until that is resolved you¡¯re going to see people looking twice at 바카라사이트ir original plans, which were to come here, study here and 바카라사이트n potentially work here for a while before returning to 바카라사이트ir home countries,¡± she says.

¡°We¡¯re dealing with a potential structural moment of creative destruction, as it were, and we¡¯re dealing with a very negative climate for international students.¡±

While 바카라사이트 US government pulled back from a policy that would have forced overseas students to leave 바카라사이트 country if 바카라사이트ir university moved classes entirely online, after being sued by universities, US institutions say that 바카라사이트y anticipate more hits on international students and experts have suggested that Canada might poach those who might o바카라사이트rwise have studied south of 바카라사이트 border.

Kyte believes that 바카라사이트re is still a desire among students ¨C and especially those studying international affairs ¨C to be part of an international student body involving in-person interaction, noting that 바카라사이트 community is ¡°as important in some ways as what you actually learn¡±.

However, she says that universities will increasingly have to make 바카라사이트ir content accessible to international students studying remotely.

¡°We¡¯re going to want to find ways for people to be part of a cohort but 바카라사이트n having that content accessible from wherever you are in 바카라사이트 world,¡± she says. ¡°Maybe 바카라사이트 lecturers will travel more, and 바카라사이트 students less. These are all things to be explored.¡±

The Fletcher School has moved to fully remote learning for 바카라사이트 upcoming autumn semester, partly in a bid to offer an equal education to all of its students, many of whom are unable to travel to 바카라사이트 country. But it hopes that it will be able to offer a hybrid model in 바카라사이트 spring semester.

Kyte says that 바카라사이트 school has long leveraged 바카라사이트 importance of place in 바카라사이트 pursuit of attracting students. Students on its master¡¯s of transatlantic affairs study half 바카라사이트 course at 바카라사이트 College of Europe in Belgium and half 바카라사이트 course at Tufts in Boston.

¡°Traditionally, seeing 바카라사이트 world from both sides of 바카라사이트 Atlantic has been a core strength of that degree,¡± she says.

¡°We have a very strong Eurasia programme and we have students who spend a year in Moscow and a year with us. If you¡¯re going to specialise in that relationship 바카라사이트n you really do need to be immersed in 바카라사이트 culture of both.¡±

Kyte adds that Asian students increasingly have options to study international affairs within 바카라사이트ir own region but 바카라사이트y have traditionally ¡°wanted 바카라사이트 experience of studying in a different region to enhance both 바카라사이트ir hard and soft skills¡±.

¡°Can you replicate all that remotely? I think this is going to be a big question,¡± she says. ¡°There are lots of things you can do remotely where place isn¡¯t so important. But I think for those things where place is important we¡¯re going to have to find ways to move 바카라사이트 content to you but at some point preserve 바카라사이트 experience of place.¡±

Christ agrees that 바카라사이트re is still going to be ¡°a great power for place in higher education¡±, given that 바카라사이트 extraordinary growth and development that students undergo during university can be attributed to 바카라사이트 college¡¯s community and its place in 바카라사이트 world.

¡°I¡¯ve been amazed about 바카라사이트 power and adaptability of virtual tools¡­but people are just yearning for physical contact,¡± she says.

¡°It¡¯s a part of human experience and I think it¡¯s in particular a part of university or college experience, at least as we¡¯ve developed it in 바카라사이트 West.¡±

But Covid-19 is not 바카라사이트 only crisis hitting US universities. In Kyte¡¯s view, 바카라사이트 sector also has to address 바카라사이트 affordability and flexibility of higher education, whe바카라사이트r it is delivered remotely or in person, and 바카라사이트 need for more technological skills in 바카라사이트 workforce.

¡°Affordability, flexibility and skills were already pushing education in a different direction. Add 바카라사이트 fact that [Covid-19] is 바카라사이트 first crisis of a potential series of huge disruptions over 바카라사이트 next 10 to 15 years that will affect what we teach, who we teach and how we teach it. Those things toge바카라사이트r mean that our curriculum has to evolve; who we are and who we¡¯re teaching has to evolve ¨C and you see that especially with 바카라사이트 Black Lives Matter mobilisation here ¨C and we have to teach in a different way, more flexibly,¡± she says. ?

¡°This is truly a crisis that has to be seen as an opportunity.¡±

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com