Showing papers by "Philip G. Altbach published in 2011"

The Road to Academic Excellence : The Making of World-Class Research Universities

Abstract: For middle-income and developing countries as well as some industrial nations a major challenge for building and sustaining successful research universities is determining the mechanisms that allow those universities to participate effectively in the global knowledge network on an equal basis with the top academic institutions in the world. These research universities provide advanced education for the academic profession, policy makers, and public and private sector professionals involved in the complex, globalized economies of the 21st century. In addition to their contribution to economic development, these universities play a key societal role by serving as cultural institutions, centers for social commentary and criticism, and intellectual hubs. The positive contribution of tertiary education is increasingly recognized as not limited to middle-income and advanced countries, because it applies equally to low-income economies. Tertiary education can help these countries to become more globally competitive by developing a skilled, productive, and flexible labor force and by creating, applying, and spreading new ideas and technologies. A recent study on how to accelerate economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa spells out the crucial contribution of tertiary education in supporting this endeavor (World Bank 2008). It observes that the key for success in a globalized world increasingly lies in how effectively a country can assimilate available knowledge and build comparative advantages in areas with higher growth prospects and how it can use technology to address the most pressing environmental challenges. The main chapters of this book are nine case studies that illustrate what it takes to establish and sustain research universities and help validate the analytical model outlined above, including the paths to building research excellence.

The Past, Present, and Future of the Research University

Abstract: Research universities are complex institutions with multiple academic and societal roles. They are both national institutions that contribute to culture, technology and society, and international institutions that link to global intellectual and scientific trends. There is widespread recognition of the importance of research universities but many countries do not recognise their complexity and the resources needed for building and sustaining them. Research universities face a number of challenges, mainly the pressures towards privatisation and that of maintaining their autonomy and controlling essential academic decision-making. Central to the success of a research university is adequate and stable funding.

Leadership for World-Class Universities : Challenges for Developing Countries

Abstract: Preface, Goolam Mohamedbhai Introduction, Philip G. Altbach 1. Strategic Planning for Higher Education, Fred M. Hayward and Daniel J. Ncayiyana 2. Governing Universities in Times of Uncertainty and Change, Alvaro Rojas and Andres Bernasconi 3. The Funding of Universities in the Twenty-First Century, D. Bruce Johnstone 4. Unlocking the Benefits of Higher Education Through Appropriate Governance, David E. Bloom and Henry Rosovsky 5. Mission-Driven Higher Education in Emerging Academic Systems, Pedro Rosso 6. Higher Education's Landscape of Internationalization, Philip G. Altbach and Jane Knight 7. Where the Quality Discussion Stands: Strategies and Ambiguities, Liz Reisberg 8. Global University Rankings and Their Impact, Nian Cai Liu and Ying Cheng 9. Fund-Raising as Institutional Advancement, Kai-ming Cheng 10. The Challenge of University Leadership in the Developing World, D. Bruce Johnstone 11. Access and Equity, Liz Reisberg and David Watson 12. The Academic Profession: The Realities of Developing Countries, Philip G. Altbach 13. The Challenge of Establishing World-Class Universities in Developing Countries, Jamil Salmi

The Road to Academic Excellence : The Making of World-Class Research Universities [El camino hacia la excelencia académica : la constitución de universidades de investigación de rango mundial]

Abstract: For middle-income and developing countries as well as some industrial nations a major challenge for building and sustaining successful research universities is determining the mechanisms that allow those universities to participate effectively in the global knowledge network on an equal basis with the top academic institutions in the world. These research universities provide advanced education for the academic profession, policy makers, and public and private sector professionals involved in the complex, globalized economies of the 21st century. In addition to their contribution to economic development, these universities play a key societal role by serving as cultural institutions, centers for social commentary and criticism, and intellectual hubs. The positive contribution of tertiary education is increasingly recognized as not limited to middle-income and advanced countries, because it applies equally to low-income economies. Tertiary education can help these countries to become more globally competitive by developing a skilled, productive, and flexible labor force and by creating, applying, and spreading new ideas and technologies. A recent study on how to accelerate economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa spells out the crucial contribution of tertiary education in supporting this endeavor (World Bank 2008). It observes that the key for success in a globalized world increasingly lies in how effectively a country can assimilate available knowledge and build comparative advantages in areas with higher growth prospects and how it can use technology to address the most pressing environmental challenges. The main chapters of this book are nine case studies that illustrate what it takes to establish and sustain research universities and help validate the analytical model outlined above, including the paths to building research excellence.