Showing papers in "Studies in Higher Education in 2013"
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors review and critique four dominant research perspectives on student engagement: the behavioural perspective, which foregrounds student behaviour and institutional practice; the psychological perspective which clearly defines engagement as an individual psycho-social process; the socio-cultural perspective which highlights the critical role of the socio political context; and, finally, the holistic perspective which takes a broader view of engagement.
Abstract: Student engagement is widely recognised as an important influence on achievement and learning in higher education and as such is being widely theorised and researched. This article firstly reviews and critiques the four dominant research perspectives on student engagement: the behavioural perspective, which foregrounds student behaviour and institutional practice; the psychological perspective, which clearly defines engagement as an individual psycho-social process; the socio-cultural perspective, which highlights the critical role of the socio-political context; and, finally, the holistic perspective, which takes a broader view of engagement. Key problems are identified, in particular poor definitions and a lack of distinction between the state of engagement, factors that influence student engagement, and the immediate and longer term consequences of engagement. The second part of the article presents a conceptual framework that overcomes these problems, incorporating valuable elements from each of the p...
1,210 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the views of over 400 business studies, marketing and human resource management undergraduate students on the development of employability skills within their curricula and found that motivation and commitment of learners is an essential prerequisite for effective outcomes.
Abstract: Despite ongoing debate about whether they can and should, most higher education institutions include the development of employability skills within their curricula. However, employers continue to report that graduates are not ready for the world of work, and lack some of the most basic skills needed for successful employment. Research into why this might be abounds from the perspectives of multiple stakeholders, including government, employers, higher education institutions and graduates. Interestingly though, the views of undergraduates, the recipients of this employability development, are not well known. This could be important, because learning theory tells us that motivation and commitment of learners is an essential prerequisite for effective outcomes. So the question is raised as to whether undergraduate students are engaged with employability skills development. This article reports on a study exploring the views of over 400 business studies, marketing and human resource management undergraduate s...
485 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine three competing perspectives on employability, termed here as the "possessive", "positioning" and "processual" approaches, and argue that the first of these, based on notions of skills and attributes, dominates the policy and practice discourse but is deeply flawed in theoretical terms.
Abstract: Employability has become, and is likely to continue to be, a major issue for a variety of stakeholders in higher education. The article examines three competing perspectives on employability, termed here as the ‘possessive’, ‘positioning’ and ‘processual’ approaches. The first of these, based on notions of skills and attributes, dominates the policy and practice discourse but, it is argued, is deeply flawed in theoretical terms. The second perspective, based on social positioning theory, is shown to be more in accord with the evidence of employment outcomes, but tends, arguably, to lead to a ‘counsel of despair’. The processual perspective is then presented, particularly focusing on the concept of graduate identity. The article argues that this is theoretically robust, is supported by empirical evidence, and provides a sound basis for curriculum and other forms of intervention to enhance graduate employability.
399 citations
TL;DR: This article argued that the adjustments necessary to ensure achievement for students from low socio-economic backgrounds in Australian higher education would be most usefully conceptualised as a joint venture toward bridging socio-cultural incongruity.
Abstract: This article examines the conceptual frames that might be used to consider the success and achievement of students from low socio-economic status in Australian higher education. Based on an examination of key literature from Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and North America, it is argued that Australia should avoid adopting either a deficit conception of students from low socio-economic backgrounds or a deficit conception of the institutions into which they will move. Further, rather than it being the primary responsibility of the student or of the institution to change to ensure the success of these students, it is argued that the adjustments necessary to ensure achievement for students from low socio-economic backgrounds in Australian higher education would be most usefully conceptualised as a ‘joint venture’ toward bridging socio-cultural incongruity.
215 citations
TL;DR: This paper examined descriptions of learning tasks that were put forward as examples of IBL by 224 university teachers from various disciplines in three Australian universities and found that IBL is practiced in a wide range of disciplines, in both undergraduate and postgraduate coursework programs, in smaller and larger classes, and in universities which are more and less research intensive.
Abstract: Learning through inquiry is a widely advocated pedagogical approach. However, there is currently little systematic knowledge about the practice of inquiry-based learning (IBL) in higher education. This study examined descriptions of learning tasks that were put forward as examples of IBL by 224 university teachers from various disciplines in three Australian universities. Data analysis uncovered the principal forms of IBL, the features of each form, their characteristic educational objectives, and possible disciplinary variations. The findings show that underlying the diversity of language and tasks regarded as IBL there is a limited number of distinct task forms and a broad conception of inquiry that is shared by university teachers. The findings also indicate that IBL is practiced in a wide range of disciplines, in both undergraduate and postgraduate coursework programs, in smaller and larger classes, and in universities which are more and less research intensive.
211 citations
TL;DR: The authors investigated ideas about critical thinking as held by academics working in three disciplines: history, philosophy and cultural studies, and found that at least seven definitional strands were identified in the informants' commentaries, namely critical thinking: (i) as judgement; (ii) as skepticism; (iii) as a simple originality; (iv) as sensitive readings; (v) as rationality; (vi) as an activist engagement with knowledge; and (vii) self-reflexivity.
Abstract: The article reports a study that investigated ideas about critical thinking as held by academics working in three disciplines: history, philosophy and cultural studies. At least seven definitional strands were identified in the informants’ commentaries, namely critical thinking: (i) as judgement; (ii) as skepticism; (iii) as a simple originality; (iv) as sensitive readings; (v) as rationality; (vi) as an activist engagement with knowledge; and (vii) as self-reflexivity. This multiplicity of meanings is thought to have important implications for university teaching and learning. The design of the study and the conclusions drawn from it draw heavily on Wittgenstein's idea of meaning as use.
209 citations
TL;DR: The mechanisms for the involvement of research universities in the global knowledge economy is complex, and includes issues of mobility, the use of technology, collaboration, and other elements as mentioned in this paper, which are the key points of international contact and involvement.
Abstract: Research universities are a central part of all academic systems. They are the key points of international contact and involvement. Research is produced, disseminated and in many cases imported. For developing countries, the mechanisms for the involvement of research universities in the global knowledge economy is complex, and includes issues of mobility, the use of technology, collaboration, and other elements.
198 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore how academics make sense of the current transformations of higher education and what kinds of academic identities are thereby constructed and conclude that academic identities have become increasingly diversified and polarized due to the managerial and structural changes in higher education.
Abstract: This article sets out to explore how academics make sense of the current transformations of higher education and what kinds of academic identities are thereby constructed. Based on a narrative analysis of 42 interviews with Finnish academics, nine narratives are discerned, each providing a different answer as to what it means to be an academic in the present-day university. Narratives of resistance, loss, administrative work overload and job insecurity are embedded in a regressive storyline, describing deterioration of academic work and one's standing. In a sharp contrast, narratives of success, mobility and change agency rely on a progressive storyline which sees the current changes in a positive light. Between these opposites, narratives of work–life balance and bystander follow stable storylines, involving a neutral stance toward university transformations. The paper concludes that academic identities have become increasingly diversified and polarized due to the managerial and structural changes in hig...
161 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate how the university community deals with the main issues surrounding the university's multilingual policy and practices, and address the concerns that different members of the community have expressed in this new context, and the interplay between Basque, a minority language in Spain.
Abstract: One effect of the Bologna Declaration is that teaching staff and students are becoming more mobile, increasing linguistic diversity in the European Higher Education Area. This multilingual internationalisation is especially noticeable in bilingual universities such as the University of the Basque Country in Spain, where English-medium instruction is becoming more popular. In order to understand higher education multilingual contexts, it is essential to analyse the personal, social, cultural, political and economic struggles that surround the different languages in contact, while becoming critically aware of what this multilingualism implies. Through discussion groups in which different members of the community participated, we researched how the university community deals with the main issues surrounding the university's multilingual policy and practices. We shall address the concerns that different members of the community have expressed in this new context, and the interplay between Basque, a minority l...
135 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors address the different forms and driving forces of the speeding up of the tempo and rhythm in research work in academia, and the impact of the temporal acceleration on how academics perceive their work and its connection to the private sphere of life.
Abstract: Drawing upon the notion of acceleration of time in late capitalism, the article addresses the different forms and driving forces of the speeding up of the tempo and rhythm in research work in academia, and the impact of the temporal acceleration on how academics perceive their work and its connection to the private sphere of life. Based on 40 in-depth interviews with Finnish academics representing various disciplinary fields, organisational settings and university positions, three different constructions of the relationship between work and life are discerned: total commitment involving the work-life equation, boundary between time for real work and wasted time, and boundary between work and life. The article discusses the implications these temporal boundaries have on the moral grounding and basic meaning of academic work and the university as an institution.
131 citations
TL;DR: The authors explored responses to current research policy trends and found that although the majority of academics expressed opposition to current policy developments, most were nevertheless complying with research imperatives, and discussed compliance, contestation and complicity in relation both to the data and to their own location as academics in this field.
Abstract: Research, a major purpose of higher education, has become increasingly important in a context of global economic competitiveness. In this paper, we draw on data from email interviews with academics in Britain to explore responses to current research policy trends. Although the majority of academics expressed opposition to current policy developments, most were nevertheless complying with research imperatives. Informed by a Foucauldian conceptualisation of audit, feminist research on gendered performativity, and sociological and psycho-social theoretical resources on the affective, we discuss compliance, contestation and complicity in relation both to the data and to our own location as academics in this field.
TL;DR: A content analysis of 100 academic blogs suggests that academics most commonly write about academic work conditions and policy contexts, share information and provide advice; the intended audience for this work is other higher education staff.
Abstract: Academics are increasingly being urged to blog in order to expand their audiences, create networks and to learn to write in more reader friendly style. This paper holds this advocacy up to empirical scrutiny. A content analysis of 100 academic blogs suggests that academics most commonly write about academic work conditions and policy contexts, share information and provide advice; the intended audience for this work is other higher education staff. We contend that academic blogging may constitute a community of practice in which a hybrid public/private academic operates in a ‘gift economy’. We note however that academic blogging is increasingly of interest to institutions and this may challenge some of the current practices we have recorded. We conclude that there is still much to learn about academic blogging practices.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors extend their understanding of research productivity by examining features of managerial practice and culture within university departments and find that autonomy and egalitarianism, along with a strong cultural ethos supporting achievement and individualism are characteristics of high functioning departments.
Abstract: This research extends our understanding of research productivity by examining features of managerial practice and culture within university departments. Adopting a robust comparative research design, capturing both interview and survey data sourced from multiple stakeholders from New Zealand universities, we seek to identify factors associated with superior research performance. The findings show that autonomy and egalitarianism, along with a strong cultural ethos supporting achievement and individualism are characteristics of high functioning departments. These comprise core features of commitment-oriented work settings, but we find them to be largely absent from the work environments of low performers. This disparity leads us to consider whether certain managerial practices, when coupled with a supporting set of cultural characteristics, are crucial to influencing research performance outcomes. Management and academics in higher education settings should consider these findings of interest and benefit, ...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report on the incidence of racism and religious incidents experienced by international students at a university in the south of England and make a contribution to the existing and extensive literature on the international student experience.
Abstract: This article makes a contribution to the existing and extensive literature on the international student experience by reporting on the incidence of racism and religious incidents experienced by international students at a university in the south of England. Out of a survey of 153 international postgraduate students, 49 had experienced some form of abuse. In most cases, this took the form of verbal abuse, though racism manifested physically for nine students. Strong emotional reactions were reported, including sadness, disappointment, homesickness and anger. There was a consequent reluctance to return to the UK as a tourist, or to offer positive word-of-mouth recommendations to future students. This article offers a portrait of the reception offered to international students against a backdrop of increased racism in the UK. A link is thus made between the micro experience and macro forces. Implications for student satisfaction and future international student recruitment are drawn.
TL;DR: In this article, the mediating role of teamwork quality in higher education student groups was investigated, and the results support the mediator role and have important practical implications for the design of student groups.
Abstract: Collaborative learning has important group-level benefits, yet most studies in higher education only focus on individual benefits of collaborative learning experiences. This study extends these insights by testing a model in which teamwork quality mediates the impact of several compositional differences (gender, nationality and teamwork expertise diversity, as well as need for cognition disparity) on groups’ cognitive complexity in a sample of 159 student groups. The results support the mediating role of teamwork quality, and have important practical implications for the design of student groups in higher education.
TL;DR: In this paper, the main cases for and related objections against student representation in university governance found in the relevant literature, and proposes a way in which variations in student representation within institutions may be understood and justified.
Abstract: This article outlines the main cases for and related objections against student representation in university governance found in the relevant literature, and proposes a way in which variations in student representation within institutions may be understood and justified. It contextualises the modern origins of student representation in the experience of university democratisation of the 1960s and early 1970s. By means of a review of scholarship, it outlines the various ‘good reasons’ for and against student representation in relation to the most prevalent justifications: i.e. the politically-realist, consumerist, communitarian and democratic and consequentialist cases for student representation. The article then outlines how these complementary and contradictory positions may serve as a complex set of criteria or ‘lens’ for analysing and justifying the representation of students in various domains of university decision making.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors draw on the literature on morality and ethics, and data from an interview study, to redress the absence of discussion and discourse about the role these latter two concepts play in the identity construction of new academics, in order to provide a fuller understanding of their identity construction.
Abstract: There is an emergent literature on the professional identities of academics working in higher education but little attention has been given to academics new to higher education. Yet, for new academic staff entering higher education, questions arise in relation to their identity and purpose, and the moral and value dimension of identity remains an important, but under explored, element of identity construction. This research draws on the literature on morality and ethics, and data from an interview study, in order to redress the absence of discussion and discourse about the role these latter two concepts play in the identity construction of new academics, in order to provide a fuller understanding of their identity construction. Attention is drawn to important aspects of morality evident in their experiences as they forge an identity. From the research it is clear that becoming an academic is experienced as a cognitive and emotive process, and is a moral endeavour grounded in virtues of honesty, care and c...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate how tensions between marketisation and academisation were handled in discipline-oriented and professional-oriented departments in higher education in Sweden, using interviews with 16 heads of departments, and find that the heads of disciplineoriented departments experienced marketisation as a threat to the university trademark, because it was seen to challenge academic autonomy.
Abstract: Contemporary changes in higher education in Sweden are characterised by two educational discourses: marketisation and academisation. Demands to meet market requirements, as well as to make education more scientific, have created tensions between and within institutional cultures. Using interviews with 16 heads of departments, the authors investigate how tensions between marketisation and academisation were handled in discipline-oriented and professional-oriented departments. The heads of discipline-oriented departments experienced marketisation as a threat to the university trademark, because it was seen to challenge academic autonomy. On the other hand, heads of professional-oriented departments felt that academisation was the main issue to be dealt with, as it shifted focus from practical skills towards academic meritocracy. Consequently, it is not possible to discuss these changes without considering that conditions differ substantially across the university. Responses to these changes can be countered...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that the mobility of scientific labour is an indispensable prerequisite for building capacity and world-class excellence and provide an overview and analysis of current trends and policy tools for promoting mobility.
Abstract: One of the ways in which globalization is manifesting itself in higher education and research is through the increasing importance and emphasis on scientific mobility. This article seeks to provide an overview and analysis of current trends and policy tools for promoting mobility. The article argues that the mobility of scientific labour is an indispensable prerequisite for building capacity and world-class excellence. Many of the newly emerging economies have been able to leverage themselves to advantageous positions in the global scientific economy through the skilful deployment of international research networks. Mobility is still a mixed blessing since scientific labour, like other scarce resources, has a tendency to cluster towards the centre. However, given advances in communication technology and the presence of good research infrastructure, a core group of networked researchers can go a long way towards helping a country with modest scientific resources achieve world-class excellence.
TL;DR: The authors used Q methodology to help to clarify and categorise commonly held viewpoints about this complex issue held by teachers in one university in New Zealand, and found four significantly and qualitatively different viewpoints, one of which advocates for sustainability and for education for sustainability.
Abstract: The higher education literature reveals the highly subjective nature of thinking about the roles of higher education and its teachers with respect to ‘education for sustainability’. We used Q methodology to help to clarify and categorise commonly held viewpoints about this complex issue held by teachers in one university in New Zealand. We developed 50 statements about the issue and asked 43 participants to rank them and to record their responses to written questions. Our analysis confirms four significantly and qualitatively different viewpoints, one of which advocates for sustainability and for education for sustainability. The other three viewpoints do not, and each has distinct characteristics that prevent those who own them from using their position within the university to encourage students to act sustainably. Our article interprets these viewpoints and discusses their implications to higher education.
TL;DR: In this paper, a study aimed to develop confidence in first-year university students to facilitate autonomous learning using approaches from positive psychology, and the results suggested that students were more confident after the intervention, and that levels of autonomous learning increased significantly compared to the controls.
Abstract: Autonomous learning is a commonly occurring learning outcome from university study, and it is argued that students require confidence in their own abilities to achieve this. Using approaches from positive psychology, this study aimed to develop confidence in first-year university students to facilitate autonomous learning. Psychological character strengths were assessed in 214 students on day one at university. Two weeks later their top three strengths were given to them in study skills modules as part of a psycho-educational intervention designed to increase their self-efficacy and self-esteem. The impact of the intervention was assessed against a control group of 40 students who had not received the intervention. The results suggested that students were more confident after the intervention, and that levels of autonomous learning increased significantly compared to the controls. Character strengths were found to be associated with self-efficacy, self-esteem and autonomous learning in ways that were theo...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined how expectations of independent study and academic behavioural confidence predicted end-of-semester marks in a sample of undergraduate students, and found that students who were confident in their ability to attain high grades and attend taught sessions also performed better in their end of semesterster marks.
Abstract: This study examined how expectations of independent study and academic behavioural confidence predicted end-of-semester marks in a sample of undergraduate students. Students’ expectations and academic behavioural confidence were measured near the beginning of the semester, and academic performance was taken from aggregated end-of-semester marks. Results suggested that a realistic expectation of undergraduate study, where the student took responsibility for their own learning, predicted higher end-of-semester marks. Students who were confident in their ability to attain high grades and attend taught sessions also performed better in their end-of-semester marks. Confidence in attending taught sessions also buffered against the negative impact of holding an unrealistic expectation of undergraduate study. These findings suggest that measures taken to encourage a realistic expectation of the nature of undergraduate study and boost academic behavioural confidence may benefit students’ performance at university.
TL;DR: This paper found that high-quality engagement with curricular diversity activities (institutionally structured opportunities for students to engage with diversity) and with diverse peers (positive diversity interactions) are associated with improved intergroup attitudes and civic engagement outcomes.
Abstract: Although there is growing research showing that students' views, attitudes, and university diversity experiences promote preparation for a global society, little research is available outside of American contexts. This study utilised data collected at one Australian university to examine whether students' views and attitudes towards diversity, and their university diversity experiences, stimulate the development of key attributes needed to function effectively in a global society, namely positive intergroup attitudes and civic engagement. The findings demonstrate that high-quality engagement with curricular diversity activities (institutionally structured opportunities for students to engage with diversity) and with diverse peers (positive diversity interactions) are associated with improved intergroup attitudes and civic engagement outcomes. The findings also reveal that poor quality engagement with diverse peers (negative diversity interactions) are negatively associated with gains in these outcomes. Th...
TL;DR: In this paper, the learning that ensued from the mentorship relationship on a mentorship program for doctoral students at a Swedish university was studied in three cases (two in social science and one in technology).
Abstract: The learning that ensued from the mentorship relationship on a mentorship program for doctoral students at a Swedish university was studied in three cases (two in social science and one in technology). The aim was: (a) to explore how doctoral students, their formal mentors and their supervisors describe their own learning, and how they perceive learning of the other individuals who are part of the developmental relationship; (b) to explore the doctoral students' learning outcomes. A total of nine semi-structured interviews were conducted. The results show variations in reciprocal learning among the participants, both within and across the cases. The students' perceived formal and/or personal aims at the outset of the mentorship program were partly achieved. However, doctoral students' task/role learning was generally emphasized, rather than personal learning. Finally, the students perceived a lack of role model learning.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that the issue of doctorateness is a recurring debate which needs to be kept alive and revisited regularly, and suggest five different areas or arenas in which the question can be addressed, forming a framework which can perhaps be used again.
Abstract: The question of what a doctorate is has been looked at before The author argues that the issue of ‘doctorateness’ is a recurring debate which needs to kept alive and revisited regularly The aim of this article is to suggest five different areas or arenas in which the question can be addressed, forming a framework which can perhaps be used again Having looked at each area, it is argued that we should not be seeking some essential meaning of the term but that we should look for ‘family resemblances’ across the wide range of doctorates now available to search for a better understanding of the nature of doctorateness
TL;DR: In this paper, a systematic analysis of 13 in-depth interviews of disabled students from universities in Northern Ireland was carried out as part of the Uni4U initiative, and the findings presented describe barriers experienced by students with disabilities to participation in higher education.
Abstract: This article provides a systematic analysis of 13 in-depth interviews of disabled students from universities in Northern Ireland. Undertaken as part of the Uni4U initiative, the findings presented describe barriers experienced by students with disabilities to participation in higher education. The students provided comments concerning their current service provisions, barriers they have experienced and suggestions for improvements to the service. Examination of the findings leads us to three recommendations: first, that a network of communication should exist that encourages dialogue between all parties with an interest in the well-being of the student, with the student at the heart of these discussions and involved in all decisions; second, that attention must be paid to staff development especially with regard to mental health issues; and, finally, that in the long term, the aim of institutions should be to move away from individual ‘reasonable adjustments’ to inclusive education for all.
TL;DR: In the context of universities being repositioned to serve global knowledge economies, a comparison between contemporary university governance structures and those from the 1960s and the 1990s provides evidence of a significant diminution of the power and status of boards relative to executive management, and a heightened focus on the functions of academic quality assurance.
Abstract: A historically informed analysis of the academic board or senate in Australian universities, and in the wider higher education environment, particularly the UK, indicates that the role and function of academic boards has fundamentally changed in the past 30 years. Within the context of universities being repositioned to serve global knowledge economies, a comparison between contemporary university governance structures and those from the 1960s and the 1990s provides evidence of a significant diminution of the power and status of boards relative to executive management, and a heightened focus on the functions of academic quality assurance. As Bourdieu would suggest, academic boards continue to hold more symbolic than real power, due to the rise of academic rather than intellectual capital. Consequently, academic boards have become a key site of struggle over the role and function of the multinational corporate university and academic work.
TL;DR: In this paper, Hong Kong university students drew pictures of assessment and the visual elements of the pictures were content analysed into eight major categories (negative emotions, being monitored, competition, lifelong, pride and pleasure, marks, inaccuracy, and burden).
Abstract: The beliefs, attitudes, experiences and responses that Hong Kong higher education students have about assessment are an important facet to developing our understanding of the ‘Chinese learner’. Using six focus groups, 26 Hong Kong university students drew pictures of assessment. The visual elements of the pictures were content analysed into eight major categories (i.e. negative emotions, being monitored, competition, lifelong, pride and pleasure, marks, inaccuracy, and burden). The most frequent categories were negative emotions and being monitored. Associations between image categories and pre-university academic performance were statistically non-significant. In addition to the portrayal of the Chinese student as an effective, persistent learner, this study shows that Chinese students are very aware of the negative, controlling impact of assessment on their lives. This study contributes to our understanding of Chinese learners in Hong Kong.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe a successful academic development programme in a Commerce faculty at a relatively elite, historically white university in South Africa, arguing that the programme has managed to achieve good results in recent years by moving away from deficit models of academic development for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Abstract: This article describes a successful academic development programme in a Commerce faculty at a relatively elite, historically white university in South Africa. The writers argue that the programme has managed to achieve good results in recent years by moving away from deficit models of academic development for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The article draws on five years of data to illustrate how students' home discourses have influenced their negotiations of institutional discourses. It is argued that many of the students have shown considerable agency in gaining admission to university despite their social backgrounds, but experience a crisis of confidence and self-esteem in the new environment. The article describes how the new model of academic development has responded to this context by providing a more flexible approach to the curriculum, which attempts to harness students' agency as well as foster a sense of belonging to a learning community. Also described are the range of interventions...
TL;DR: The authors examines the case of pre- and post-colonial Hong Kong and how its universities transited from undergraduate institutions to highly ranked research universities within 30 years, and makes the case that the Hong Kong model already studied by research universities on the Chinese mainland, is generalizable as a cosmopolit...
Abstract: International competition drives research universities to find ways to anchor globalization for academic productivity and innovation through cross-border collaboration. This article examines the case of pre- and post-colonial Hong Kong and how its universities transited from undergraduate institutions to highly ranked research universities within 30 years. While this is attributed to an enabling environment of institutional autonomy, open borders and cross-cultural capacity, a case study of one research university points to the role played in all of Hong Kong's universities by network agents, institutional arrangements, and brain circulation to recruit and retain international scholars and scientists. While this has strengthened capacity, it cannot be sustained without indigenous academic leadership to ensure that globalization is anchored in local culture. The article makes the case that the Hong Kong model already studied by research universities on the Chinese mainland, is generalizable as a cosmopolit...