“The world is moving in the American direction. More universities in more countries are charging students tuition fees,” says The Economist (2015). Of course, there is more to the American university model than merely tuition. Many of us have benefitted from the opportunities of great American research universities. Some of …
University leadership and governance
In a world faced with profound challenges and opportunities, and drivenby rapid disruptive change, universities can play important transformativeroles. This paper argues that to be able to do so successfully a key requirement is for universities to have a high degree of autonomy, tied to adequate and diversified funding, competition …
From moocs to moors – a movement towards humboldt 2-0
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have attracted a lot of attention in the academic world in general and presidents’ officesmore particularly. But some worry that this model of teaching is a step back to a vertical and unidirectional model of knowledge transmission and that it breaks down the Humboldtian contract …
Learning to think critically
Learning without thought is labour lost; thought without learning is perilous. (Confucian Analects, Wei zheng [Ho Peng Yoke, 2012]) Confucius explains to his students and scholars his ideas about how togain knowledge. In doing so, he continues, “… shall I teach you whatknowledge is? When you know a thing, to …
Converging paths- public and private research universities
The American research university has been celebrated as “the greatest system of knowledge production and higher learning that the world has ever known” (Cole, 2009). As measured by any number of factors — international rankings, Nobel Laureates, publications in peer review journals, or impact on industrial innovation —
Glion Colloquium – A Retrospective
Two Declarations, nine books, 180 chapters, 2,400 pages published overa 15-year span from 1999 to 2014 — by any standards the outputs ofthe regular meetings of the Glion Colloquium, held in Glion itself with the exception of one held in California, have provided a major stimulus to new thinking about …
Reinventing greatness – responding to urgent global level responsibilities
In this chapter I reflect on the contemporary significance of knowledgeinstitutions, and particularly research universities, for both emerging andestablished economies and for the world as a whole, but with particular reference to South Africa and Africa. As knowledge institutions have become ever more central to human social and economic development, …
The role of the university in Economic Development
Any top-rated research university has two core missions, namely, education and scholarly research. The primary focus of the institutionmust be on maintaining quality in these two areas, since the external reputation of the university depends upon its ability to serve students well and on the research reputation of its faculty. …
The social and political responsibilities of research universities
This paper attempts to come up with possible answers to the question:“What do universities consider to be their most important prioritiesand responsibilities in 1) addressing the challenges facing their institutions; and 2) expectations arising from their societies at the local, regional or global level?” Specifically, I wish to address some …
Technology Transfer at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ)
The research universities represented by the Glion Colloquium have been responsible for many of the greatest discoveries and intellectual breakthroughs in history. I am proud to lead one of these universities. For the last 800 years in Cambridge, new discoveries have been forged to transform the way we live and …
The impact of China’s economic rise
China’s continuous economic rise in the last three decades has beenone of the most dramatic events in world history. In addition to liftinghundreds of millions people out of poverty, creating a huge middle class with increasing disposable income and modernizing China’s economic structure, this rise has also affected the rest …
Preface to Preparing Universities for an Era of Change
The Glion Colloquium has established itself as an influential resource in addressing both the challenges and responsibilities of the world’s research universities. Every two years, the Glion Colloquium provides a forum for research university leaders to consider together the role that the world’s leading universities should play in addressing the …
The Role of Universities in Regional Development
In addition to the classic functions of research and teaching, universities worldwide are fulfilling additional functions within their communities. This activity is generally described as the so-called “third mission” of the university and reflects the transfer of knowledge through various forms of community engagement with a wide range of stakeholders… …
The changing Nature and Character of research Universities : New Paradigms
WHY NEW PARADIGMS ARE NEEDED FOR RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES The research university in its current form represents a remarkable and successful model where education and research and its application are brought together in synergistic ways that produce valuable new ideas, insights, products and services, as well as thought-leadership that informs policy …
Fault Lines in the Compact : Higher Education and the Public Interest in the United States
The research university stands as one of the most admired and emulated of American institutions. Year after year, American universities dominate the international rankings of institutions of higher education. The demand for places in American programs continues to grow, and the quality of matriculating students continues to improve. The prospects …
Universities, hard and soft Sciences: all key Pillars of global Sustainability
Imagine you are an economic historian writing at the end of the 21st century about the second half of the 20th and first decade of the 21st. You will probably write that this period was characterized by an unprecedented increase in prosperity in the Western World, the rapid emergence of …
Who is responsible for providing and paying for Higher Education
Higher education (HE), more than most other goods or services, can be provided either by the public sector or the market. It can be also paid for either by the State (the taxpayers or lenders) or by private interests (individuals, business or other private sources, e.g. foundations). This flexibility is …
Challenges and Opportunities for Public Research Universities in Brazil
Federal and State-level support for higher education and research played a fundamental role for Brazil to develop a graduate schools system that awarded 13,912 doctoral level titles in 2012. The number of scientific articles authored by scientists working in Brazilian higher education institutions and published in international journals grew from …
Research Funding : Trends and Challenges
Research — the generation or collection of knowledge — is of the greatest importance. It can affect individual lives, society at large and even the fate of our planet. Uncountable sums of money are spent, and usually well spent, on moving forward our understanding of academic disciplines. Researchers access these …
Human capital, the oft forgotten key Challenge
A university without faculty is like a bicycle without wheels. It won’t get you very far. I know this is a matter of course, forcing an open door. Yet, precisely because it is obvious that universities without teachers and researchers are just empty shells, it strikes me that, when we …