IMPROVING TEACHING AND LEARNING IN AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES ‐‐ STAFF (FACULTY) DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES AS A FIELD OF CO‐OPERATION BETWEEN EUROPEAN AND AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES

In virtually all the countries of the world, the need for staff‐development programmes for university and other higher education teachers has been recognized. Because the developed countries of Europe and of North America have a head start in the domain, specialists from these countries have frequently been called upon to create and to offer staff‐development programmes in the universities of developing countries. This article discusses the appropriateness of European conceptions of staff‐development for African universities. Concluding that Euro‐centric staff‐developers and pre‐packaged European programmes are not appropriate, that they run the risk of becoming a form of cultural neo‐colonialism, the author considers ways in which European specialists can collaborate with their African colleagues in the structuring of staff‐development programmes that are not only African‐centred but are geared to the real needs of African universities as they are perceived by Africans themselves. If the author's suggestions are accepted, African universities will be able to make use of those aspects of European staff‐development concepts and programmes which have universal value without having to accept European cultural tutelage along with them.     

Self and the other in the Confucian cultural context: Implications of China’s higher education development for comparative studies

The central purpose of China’s modern higher education has been to combine Chinese and Western elements at all levels including institutional arrangements, research methodologies, educational ideals and cultural spirit, a combination that brings together aspects of Chinese and Western philosophical heritages. This, however, has not been achieved. There is an urgent need for critical examination of the long-term consequences of grafting American academic practices onto a Chinese base. This article examines the tensions in the interactions in higher education between the traditional Chinese and the imposed Western modes of thinking. Borrowing a definition of the structure of culture, this paper reveals the various extents to which layers of Chinese higher education have achieved any degree of success. It finds that with a strong catch-up mentality, China’s contemporary higher education policies are responsive to Western influences. These are however only applied as panic-stricken and expedient band-aid remedies, rather than as strategies based on systematic understanding of cultural contexts. Accordingly, Chinese universities are uncritical towards the European-American model and its variants. This article warns that without an infusion of traditional education values, universities in China risk losing touch with their cultural contexts in their quest for world-class status.     

Conceptions of Contemporary European Universities: to do research or not to do research?

The article examines the extent to which the notion of a publicly-funded university as an institution engaging in both teaching and research is likely to be sustained in the European higher education space of the future, given the variety of pressures (including funding and mass higher education) on such a conception of a university and changes in how national governments regard the purposes of higher education. Relevant literature on the changing purposes of universities is reviewed. For illustrative purposes, the article uses an example of recent legislation, the 2004 Higher Education Act, in England, whereby research degree awarding powers are no longer a pre-requisite for the conferral of university status. The position in England's higher education system with regard to research and teaching is contrasted with that of a second UK country, Scotland, which has contrasting policies on teaching and research in universities. The article examines the research-teaching debate from the perspective of individual academics, universities and policy-makers, using recent empirical data where available. It is suggested that whilst academics and their institutions (for different reasons) may be in favour of retaining a link between teaching and research and may resist changes to this, policy-makers faced with rising demands on the public purse may see such links as suited only to an academic elite. Such pressures apply equally to other member countries of the European Higher Education space, so the outcomes of this policy debate about the centrality of research and teaching to universities have many implications for the future shape of European higher education.     

Same university,same challenges? Development strategies of two schools at a prestigious Chinese university in a changing higher education landscape

In a globalized world, universities face challenges adapting to changing environmental pressures and expectations of legitimacy. Studies on the topic have tended to focus on universities in North America and Europe, while Chinese universities have received less attention, perhaps due to their status as latecomers to global higher education. Based on institutional theory and resource dependence theory, this study examines the development process of two schools with different characteristics in a prestigious public Chinese university. Based on document and interview analyses, the findings indicate that both schools advocate internationalization as a development strategy but for different reasons. In response to the changing environment, one school continues to conform to the institutional environment; meanwhile, the other is competing in the task environment while also adhering to the university’s and the state’s norms, beliefs, demands and expectations. Based on the analysis, this article recommends that Chinese policymakers allow proactive schools willing to further their positioning in national and global higher education systems to have more autonomy and leeway in developing themselves.     

Applying the Varieties of Capitalism Approach to Higher Education: comparing the internationalisation of German and British universities

In recent years, the global market for higher education has expanded rapidly, while internationalisation strategies have been developed at university, national and European levels to increase the competitiveness of higher education institutions. This article asks how institutional settings prevailing in national models of capitalism motivate distinct national approaches with regard to the internationalisation, globalisation, and Europeanisation of higher education systems. While the university is defined as an organisational actor embedded in the higher education system, the higher education system itself represents an institutional subsystem within the national model of capitalism. An analytical framework is then developed on the basis of the Varieties of Capitalism approach to compare the internationalisation of German and British universities. Findings indicate that the relations between the various actors involved in the internationalisation of universities are based largely on market coordination in the British case. In contrast, this process in Germany relies more on strategic interactions between the various organisational actors in higher education. The development paths in the internationalisation of universities are found to be influenced by and reflect the specific mode of coordination in the respective higher education system and the national model of capitalism more generally. This comparative case study shows that recent conceptions of path dependence as well as conceptual tools developed in the Varieties of Capitalism literature, such as institutional complementarity and comparative institutional advantage, may be fruitfully applied to research on institutional change in higher education systems.     

World-class higher education and the emerging Chinese model of the university

China??s recent quest to develop world-class universities is a significant phenomenon within the worldwide transformation of tertiary education. Taking a cultural approach and drawing on empirical findings, this article investigates the emerging Chinese model of the university, considering its key features and contributions to global communities. First, examining the rhetoric about world-class universities in varied societal contexts, it explores the institutional initiatives and government agendas involved in China??s drive for global status. Then, using case studies of three universities moving toward mass higher education and world-class status, it shows the role played by their individual institutional initiative. It next describes key features of the emerging Chinese model of the university, including the core values of self-mastery and intellectual freedom, to show how it differs from the dominant Anglo-Saxon and American models but shares some features with the continental European and Japanese models of the university. The final section considers policy implications of the emerging Chinese model, its potential lessons for reform and practice, and its role in fostering vibrant democracies and global dialogue among civilizations in the future.     

论大学的文化自觉

大学发展史表明,世界一流大学建设都是以文化自觉为基础和前提的。我国大学向来缺乏自治传统,忽视文化传承,背负着沉重的社会责任。唤醒大学文化自觉并构建中国特色的大学文化,成为中国大学科学发展和实现卓越的基础和前提。大学的文化自觉包括坚守自己的文化特质和用先进的大学文化引领社会文化,成为社会良心以促进社会进步两个方面。     

Higher Education Institutions and Their Regions: Linking the Local and the Global

This article is based on the Final Report of the "International Seminar on the 'Emergence of Universities: New Higher Education Institutions and their Role in Local and Regional Development'," held in Zielona Go´ra, Poland, in May 2001. A first set of presentations argued strongly that the presence of higher education institutions in given regions is increasingly important for the continued development of these regions. However, for the presence of higher education institutions to be effective in regard to their regions, universities may have to be reorganized and smaller institutions merged. A second set of presentations detailed specific ways in which universities can be of service to their regions, as, for instance, in providing linguistic services and in furthering inter-ethnic and cultural understanding. A third set commented upon the converging roles of public and private institutions and discussed the challenges facing higher education in general.     

Comparing the Open University Systems of China and India: Origins,Developments and Prospects

The national open universities of China and India are unique adaptations of the open university model that emanated from the UK. These institutions have expanded to become the largest universities in the world as measured by current enrollment of approximately four million each. This article comparatively analyzes how these open universities have differentiated themselves from the open university model and from each other amidst similarities of outcome and differences of approach. Historical contexts, national governance of higher education, institutional administration, curriculum and international operations are the foci of analysis. The article contributes to the literature on national and local forces that shape higher education systems and aims to spur collaborations between the institutions in question for mutual benefit.     

国外创业型大学与营利性大学异同辨析

创业型大学与营利性大学是20世纪后期世界高等教育领域兴起的两种新型的教育机构,二者既有差异,也有共同之处.从组织性质、产生背景、大学职能、办学目的四个方面分析了这两类大学的不同之处,同时也指出了二者的共同之处：对“额外收入”或“利润”的追求以及企业化的运作方式.创业型大学模式为我国公立高校中具备条件的研究型大学发展提供了一种可资借鉴的实践范式,而营利性大学模式则启示我国应实行“营利性”和“非营利性”民办高校的分类管理模式.     

The Role of Universities in the ‘Cultural Health’ of their Regions: universities' and regions' understandings of cultural engagement

As Arbo and Benneworth (2007) have alerted us, higher education institutions are now expected not only to conduct education and research, but also to play an active role in the development of their economic, social and cultural surroundings. They call this the ‘regional mission’ of HEIs. This paper is concerned with cultural engagement. Research on universities’ cultural engagement in their regions and the impact of that engagement is still in its infancy, partly because there are different understandings of ‘culture’ and of what ‘engagement’ entails. In this paper, qualitative data from the reports of mixed teams of academics and regional administrators involved in a large international project designed to improve universities’ regional engagement are analysed and discussed. The on-going study — PASCAL Universities' Regional Engagement (PURE) — investigates the role of HEIs in their regions across in a variety of fields such as the economy, community development, the environment and others. This article analyses the data from the study to identify the different perspectives universities and regions have of cultural engagement. The aim here is to demonstrate the value of PURE in facilitating the development of mutual understanding both between universities through a common language and between universities and their regions in respect of mutual expectations. For example, particularly difficult to de-construct is universities’ engagement with disadvantaged communities (Doyle, 2007) but Powell's (2009) work suggests that universities might engage more broadly and effectively ‘through better knowledge sharing and co-creation with business and community partners’ to become ‘real drivers of creative change in developing socially inclusive projects’. Others have written about the educational role of universities in developing a ‘lifelong learning culture’ in their region (European Universities’ Charter on Lifelong Learning, 2008).     

大力拓展独立创业者成长的教育空间

大学生独立创业能力不足 ,关键在于大学生学习方式、个性发展的多样性与大学教育教学模式的同一性之间存在着矛盾。高等学校要真正培养具有独立创业能力的大学生 ,必须进一步科学认识创造性人才的特征及其要求 ,深化教学改革 ,全方位拓展独立创业者成长的教育空间。     

Global university rankings and their impact on the internationalisation of higher education

Global university rankings are a worldwide trend that emerged in times of the globalisation and internationalisation of higher education. Universities worldwide are now striving to become “world‐class” institutions and are constantly aiming to improve their ranking position. Global rankings of universities are thus perceived by many as an ultimate tool for assessing the level of internationalisation at individual higher education institutions. This article first discusses the meaning of and relationship between the globalisation and internationalisation of higher education, as their influence on the emergence of global rankings is undeniable. It then outlines the methodological designs of four main global university rankings which serve as key prerequisites for the subsequent analyses of both the international(‐isation) indicators that these rankings include and of the international ranking initiatives that focus exclusively on the international outlook of higher education institutions. In the concluding discussion, the article reveals that, due to the predominantly quantitative orientation of global university rankings (on the internationalisation of higher education), their results should not be generalised or understood as a means to improve the quality of (internationalisation of) higher education.     

美国高校教师评聘标准如何走向多元化 ——基于新制度主义理论的分析

借鉴新制度主义理论，本文对美国大学教师评聘的“共识性”标准及其评价实践中的标准分化现象进行解释。研究发现，专业协会通过制定和传播被学术界广泛认可的学术理念和规则，促进了机构的规范性趋同。经费紧缩、问责强化以及大学排名的兴起使得研究导向的评价标准得到广泛应用，进而引发了机构的模仿性趋同。与此同时，历史传统、办学使命和发展目标的差异使得不同类型的大学通过对评价标准进行优先排序以及对具体指标进行差异化赋权，分别形成了各具特色、重点突出的评价标准体系。趋同与分化，构成美国大学教师评聘标准的“一体两面”。借鉴美国大学的经验，我国在深化高校教师分类评价改革的进程中，应进一步扩大和落实高校人事自主权，鼓励不同类型和层次的高校结合实际校情与本校特色，制定更加多元化与精细化的教师评聘标准体系。     

论我国高校高等教育研究机构的功能定位选择

高等教育研究机构曾经一度成为我国高等教育改革和发展的助推器。然而,近几年国内各高校高等教育研究机构的发展却极不平衡,出现了机遇与困境并存的局面。正确认识自身的属性和特点并准确定位,是高校高等教育研究机构的必然选择。新形势下,高校高等教育研究机构必须根据自身的情况,重新审视目前的发展状况,大力开展院校研究,建立有效的科研管理机制,充分发挥其人才培养作用,并要搭建学术交流平台,促进我国高等教育的改革与发展。     

THE UNIVERSITIES AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW EUROPEAN HOME

This article focusses on the types of assistance which the universities in the western European countries could render to their peers in Eastern Europe. It explores the ways in which this aid would contribute to the elaboration of the transnational culture of the New European Home. Stress is laid on the need to integrate the educational and research activities of European universities for the training of new intellectual élites. A considerable expansion of student exchanges is suggested, particularly the training of foreign language teachers in foreign universities. The universities should rediscover and lay stress on humanism and end their participation in military research. They should prepare bachelor's and master's degree holders capable of working as teachers in other types of higher education institutions and as researchers and theorists in various types of cultural establishments. The article concludes with an examination of the scope and the operation of the International Environmental and Cultural Centre of Norway which is operated by the Byelorussian State University and the Folk High School of Agder, Norway. This centre is cited as an example of the type of inter‐university centre which should be established all over Europe so as to further the integration of European universities.     

Conceptualizing the ontology of higher education with Chinese characteristics

Higher education with Chinese characteristics is inherently embedded in both Chinese traditional culture and Chinese modern political culture. This article examines the ontological conception of higher education with Chinese characteristics from both conceptual and political perspectives. First, by illustrating the Government agenda and politics for the construction of higher education with Chinese characteristics, this article explains the particular roles played by individual universities and colleges. The article then moves on to describe the ontological conceptual framework used in identifying higher education with Chinese characteristics for the purpose of showing how higher education with Chinese characteristics differs from Western dominated higher education concepts and models. Both the distinction between the Eastern and Western contexts and the integration of the globalization and localization are involved in construction of the concept of higher education with Chinese characteristic. The final section considers the policy implications for the developing higher education with Chinese characteristics.     

由美国一流大学治校理念引发的历史文化反思——以康奈尔大学为例

世界一流大学都有自己独特的治校理念.美国一流大学占世界一流大学的比例很大.以美国一流大学康奈尔大学为例来探讨美国一流大学的治校理念,探究其历史文化背景,反思西方高等教育的本质,以期对我国高等学校争创世界一流大学和成为建设创新型国家的摇篮等方面有所启迪.     

Is Drop-out from University Dependent on National Culture and Policy? The Case of Denmark

National cultures are known to influence educational institutions and practices in many ways. It therefore seems reasonable to assume that drop-out from university is also influenced by differences in national cultures. In this article, we compare drop-out from Danish universities with drop-out from European universities. Based on Danish national culture (characterised by individualism, low power distance, femininity, and low uncertainty avoidance) and on the high level of economic support for students, we find that drop-out from higher education in Denmark as compared to most other European countries is less influenced by socio-economic factors and by the students’ degree of social integration. Hence, our review of the research on drop-out identifies some differences that might rest on national cultural varieties. It also points to difficulties in comparing results from different research studies, not only in Denmark but also across Europe. This difficulty results from varieties in research designs and definitions of drop-out.