Universities setting out on new courses
24 February 2007
Cruise ships were very much in the news this week, particularly in Sydney Harbour. But a cruise ship also figured in a front page story of the Times Higher Education Supplement, along with an article on research. Taken together, the two front page stories were indicative of some important trends in universities globally.
Cardiff University has turned around from being on the verge of bankruptcy a decade ago, to now being one of the country’s rising stars. It’s latest initiative to boost student numbers, and therefore its finances, is to choose staff to go on an all-expenses paid round the world cruise on a luxury liner. The liner will be a floating campus for sixteen weeks, calling at eight countries in five continents.
About 600 students will be on board paying around A$10,000 each, and they will be taught a range of disciplines whilst on board. Australia will likely be one of the ports of call.
Engaging staff and students in this way, and presumably recruiting en route, is an interesting insight into the methods being employed by modern universities that are a far cry from the traditional lecture theatres and gowns.
The other front page story was emphasising how brutal the research race is becoming in the UK, with Australia following not far behind, perhaps.
The UK’s research assessment exercise has gradually pushed aside many academics who conducted research, and has allowed funds to flow to an ever decreasing minority of universities and world-class researchers.
Game-playing by universities to boost their research profiles has become an art-form, including sports-like transfer fees for highly paid researchers for short periods.
Whilst there is no question that university education provides both a public and private good, internationally governments are going to have to weigh carefully whether public funding is being denuded so much, that these almost diversionary strategies are harming the provision of national quality higher education systems, that regardless of where students live, and which university they attend, they are provided with high class education.
Too many resources diverted from equitable access across countries toward world-class universities may see an already unhealthy divide amongst universities’ resources become unacceptably wider.
Professor Paul Thomas AM is Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Sunshine Coast.