Envisioning the Asian Flagship University: Past and Future

Envisioning the Asian Flagship University: Past and Future Concept Paper John Hawkins (UCLA) and John Douglass (UC Berkeley) APHERP Senior Seminar Zhejiang University May 23, 2016

Asia’s Leading National Universities The Context in Asia

Asia’s Leading National Universities The Context Traditional FSU History • Most nations in region have one or more elite, leading, FSUs. • History of being more “inwardly” focused on national service, preparation of civic elites, national business leaders etc. • Little external pressure or internal desire to substantially change

Asia’s Leading National Universities The Context Some New Realities • Rankings and WCU goals • Increasing expectations of a much more expanded role in society and more competitive • Complex interplay of neoliberalism, globalization, and internationalization in 1990’s • Now looking “externally” for benchmarks

Asia’s Leading National Universities The Context Debate on the Value of WCU • Critique of this model • Looking for more creative ways to address the role of teaching, community service, R&D, scholarship and so on. • Creates a predicament: increase in research productivity, income, publications, citations, etc. AND seek innovative approaches to teaching, research and community engagement

Asia’s Leading National Universities The Context Imitative or Innovative • Difficult to avoid the temptation of being imitative of other WCUs and seeking higher rankings • Is it an erroneous understanding of the Emerging Global Model (EGM)? • Critique of US research HEIs “research is the primary product” model which limits innovative change

Asia’s Leading National Universities The Context The “New” FSU in Asia • Is there a place for both NFSU ideals and practices to co-exist? • Current top ranked research HEIs on the ARWU were not built around a narrow band of quantitative measures of research or reputation • What have we learned thus far about the characteristics of a new approach to the FSU idea?

The Flagship University For What Purpose?

The Purpose and Objectives of the New Flagship University John Aubrey Douglass Center for Studies in Higher Education - UC Berkeley

The Purpose and Objectives of the New Flagship University WCU Focus John Aubrey Douglass Center for Studies in Higher Education - UC Berkeley

New Flagship University as an Aspirational Model • In the face of the dominant WCU and ranking paradigm, most academic leaders and their academic communities have had difficulty conceptualizing, and articulating, their grander purpose and multiple engagements with society.

New Flagship University as an Aspirational Model • In the face of the dominant WCU and ranking paradigm, most academic leaders and their academic communities have had difficulty conceptualizing, and articulating, their grander purpose and multiple engagements with society. • The New Flagship University model attempts to provide an alternative narrative via a holistic and ecological vision of what constitute the best and most influential national universities.

New Flagship University as an Aspirational Model • In the face of the dominant WCU and ranking paradigm, most academic leaders and their academic communities have had difficulty conceptualizing, and articulating, their grander purpose and multiple engagements with society. • The New Flagship University model attempts to provide an alternative narrative via a holistic and ecological vision of what constitute the best and most influential national universities. • The NFSU is not intended as a set of required attributes and practices or a single template or checklist, but an expansive array of characteristics and practices that connects a selective group of universities—an aspiration model.

The Flagship University Hard Part #1 How to Define it?

Flagship Assumptions • Leading National Universities Are Evolving – Their importance, range of programs and activities, and expectations of stakeholders is larger then ever before. John Aubrey Douglass Center for Studies in Higher Education - UC Berkeley

Flagship Assumptions • Leading National Universities Are Evolving – Their importance, range of programs and activities, and expectations of stakeholders is larger than ever before. • Only So Many - A nation/region can realistically achieve a limited number of research-intensive universities. John Aubrey Douglass Center for Studies in Higher Education - UC Berkeley

Flagship Assumptions • Leading National Universities Are Evolving – Their importance, range of programs and activities, and expectations of stakeholders is larger then ever before. • Only So Many - A nation/region can realistically achieve a limited number of research-intensive universities. • It Is About Internal Culture - While ministries of education can positively or negatively influence the quality of university academic programs and activities, ultimately top tier institutions require sufficient independence to develop internal cultures of quality and excellence and incentives. John Aubrey Douglass Center for Studies in Higher Education - UC Berkeley

Flagship Assumptions • Leading National Universities Are Evolving – Their importance, range of programs and activities, and expectations of stakeholders is larger then ever before. • Only So Many - A nation/region can realistically achieve a limited number of research-intensive universities. • It Is About Internal Culture - While ministries of education can positively or negatively influence the quality of university academic programs and activities, ultimately top tier institutions require sufficient independence to develop internal cultures of quality and excellence and incentives. • Role In Nurturing National HE Systems – “Flagship” universities should help nurture and have practices that influence the quality and performance of other HEI’s. John Aubrey Douglass Center for Studies in Higher Education - UC Berkeley

Flagship Characteristics • Research intensive, but equally committed to teaching/learning and public service • Comprehensive Institutions – seeking strength across the disciplines. • Internationally engaged, but focused first on Regional/National Economic development and public service across the disciplines • Broadly Accessible – selective but also representative of the population they serve. • Sufficiently Autonomous and Publicly Financed – easy to say! • Internal Culture of Evidence-Based Management and focused on Institutional Self-Improvement • A Common Narrative – but not all the same – Flagship’s are necessarily tied to the political, cultural and socio-economic world they serve

The Flagship University Hard Part #2 The Ecology of the Flagship University – Its Culture, Policies and Practices

The Flagship UniversityProfile and Policy Realms

Flagship Conundrums • Implies High Level of Policy and Practice Convergence - • Is there a Russian way to have a research-intensive University? • A Chinese way? • An German way?

Flagship Conundrums • Implies High Level of Policy and Practice Convergence - • Is there a Russian way to have a research-intensive University? • A Chinese way? • An German way? • Again, not meant as a Litmus Test – different answers and configurations

Flagship Conundrums • Implies High Level of Policy and Practice Convergence - • Is there a Russian way to have a research-intensive University? • A Chinese way? • An German way? • Again, not meant as a Litmus Test – different answers and configurations • But there has to be enough commonality in intent, effort, and practice to give it meaning – An HEI would need to embrace the Flagship title and articulate its version

Flagship Conundrums • Implies High Level of Policy and Practice Convergence - • Is there a Russian way to have a research-intensive University? • A Chinese way? • An German way? • Again, not meant as a Litmus Test – different answers and configurations • But there has to be enough commonality in intent, effort, and practice to give it meaning – An HEI would need to embrace the Flagship title and articulate its version • Therefore a self-appointed designation? Or eventually Ministerial designation in the race for resources and prestige?

Flagship Final Thoughts My Hope: That the Flagship model provides a path for some universities to explain and seek a revised institutional identity, to help them build a stronger internal culture of self-improvement and, ultimately, a greater contribution to economic development and socioeconomic mobility rates that all societies seek.

Flagship Final Thoughts My Hope: That the Flagship model provides a path for some universities to explain and seek a revised institutional identity, to help them build a stronger internal culture of self-improvement and, ultimately, a greater contribution to economic development and socioeconomic mobility rates that all societies seek. But for that to happen, some groups of institutions will need to embrace some version of the model on their own terms and articulate it clearly and loudly.

Envisioning the Asian Flagship University: Past and Future