along with China’s booming economy, the past three decades have seen tremendous progress in higher education in China. In 1982, only 1% of 18- to 22-year-olds had the opportunity to participate in higher education. The proportion in 2012 is now more than 26%, and China is likely to reach a …
A Research University for both Academic Excellence and Responsibility for a sustainable future – does the Swedish model work?
Sweden has for a long time been spared from armed conflicts and major disruptive social problems. During the past decades, we have gone from a homogeneous state to an increasingly diverse and diverged country. In an international comparison, Sweden looks in many ways like a very attractive country to live …
How to Answer the Utilitarian Assault on Higher Education?
GROWING PRESSURES TO ADOPT UTILITARIAN MISSION Across the country, state governors and governing boards are demanding that undergraduate education focus on the preparation of students for immediate jobs, thus promoting vocationalism above all other purposes of education, in fact, often to the exclusion of all other purposes. • In some …
The Strategic Repositioning of Research Universities to fulfil their Global Promise
The relevance of universities has become a theme of public debate, reflecting the anxiety and excitement surrounding changing forces in the larger context of globalization, as well as widespread concern with regard to basic economic and societal well-being. Despite a whirlwind of change and transformation, universities have been stable, resilient …
Contemporary challenges for the Swiss – and the continental European – university system
A SLIGHT DISCOMFORT These are very interesting times for university education at the world level, and Switzerland is indeed no exception to this generalization. The importance of higher education in our societies and our economies is being constantly stressed, universities enjoy a higher level of institutional autonomy worldwide than was …
The Impact of Technology on Discovery and Learning
Today, our world has entered a period of rapid and profound economic, social and political transformation driven by knowledge and innovation. Educated people, the knowledge they produce and the innovation and entrepreneurial skills they possess have become the keys to economic prosperity, public health, national security and social well-being. It …
The changing Nature and Character of Research Universities : New Paradigms
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 and action (National Research Council of the National …
Challenges in Establishing a Top Research University
The historical development of research universities and their roles in society has been articulated in many articles and documents. Since their inception, distinguished research universities have generated leaders in virtually every field and created scientific and technological advances that have affected the welfare and well-being of humanity. Top research universities …
Research Universities and the Future of America : A Study by the National Academies
Today, our world has entered a period of rapid and profound economic, social and political transformation driven by knowledge and innovation. Educated people, the knowledge they produce and the innovation and entrepreneurial skills they possess have become the keys to economic prosperity, public health, national security and social well-being. It …
The Asian Tiger University Effect
A common wisdom is that we are now entering the Asian Century, having travelled the American century in the 1900s and the British century in the 1800s. This reflects the array of impressive economic indicators emerging in the East. As the Australia in the Asian Century white paper (Australian Government, …
How and where are dominant funding models steering HE & Research?
We are living in a time of great economic uncertainty where governments are providing our universities with less resource, yet at the same time expecting to exert greater influence, through increasing regulation and a more and more forensic focus on impact and value for money. At the same time, the …
The Challenge of Transition in Public Higher Education
The American Land-Grant University was established in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act into law. Setting aside federal land in the individual states for public universities, the idea behind the Act was to make higher education accessible for the first time to the broader American population in …
Can the IT Revolution lead to a rebirth of World-call European Universities
We have reached a critical moment in time when the digital revolution — brought on by ubiquitous personal, mobile and affordable information devices — is challenging the historical missions of education and research; a challenge for our universities that constitutes a disruptive force and an opportunity for world-class European universities….This …
Summary and conclusion to Preparing Universities for an Era of Change
The Colloquium was organized into five topical sessions: • the changing purpose, role and relationship of research universities • the changing nature of discovery, learning and innovation • the cost, price, and value of higher education • the changing nature and character of research universities: developed countries • the changing …
Can the French System support competitive Research Universities
during this symposium, we have addressed the question of the imbalance between educational need and educational capacity. Of course, this question has been asked in France. What are the answers? Are they adequate? Are they specific to the French situation or can they be used in a wider range of …
Higher Education Model for Large Developing Economies
Education is the key to socio-economic development and character building. Higher education plays an important role in knowledge and wealth creation. Historically, one can find a good correlation between the spread and quality of higher education and the economic development of a nation. Scientific, social and economic developments in developed …
Universities. Serving as, and Educating Global Citizens
Four years ago, in Sydney, Australia, 2.2 million citizens turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change. Last March, only four years later, 5,251 cities in 135 countries responded to the same call and turned their lights off for “The Earth Hour”, including places …
Research Universities and Sustainable Development with special Reference to India and IIT Madras
Rapid advances in technology have had dramatic consequences. The environment that moulded life on earth over many millennia is being altered and even replaced dynamically, endangering the very life whose quality science and technology seek to improve. The overwhelming concern of all societies today is that of sustainability
Summary of the Colloquium
The VIII Glion Colloquium was held in June 2011 to consider the roles that could be played by the world’s research universities in addressing the various challenges of global sustainability in the broadest sense, e.g., climate, environmental, economic, health, poverty and geopolitical. This included considerations not only of how research …
Preface to Global Sustainability and the Responsibilities of Universities
Over the past decade, the Glion Colloquium has established itself as an influential resource in addressing both the challenges and roles of the world’s research universities. Launched in 1998 by Professors Luc Weber (University of Geneva) and Werner Hirsch (University of California),