A pioneering collection of case studies on the global phenomenon of academic excellence initiatives and how they shape the performance of research universities.
A pioneering collection of case studies on the global phenomenon of academic excellence initiatives and how they shape the performance of research universities.
Academic excellence initiatives (AEIs)-special government-sponsored programs to improve research universities-have provided billions of dollars to top universities and represent perhaps the most significant effort in the past half-century to jumpstart academic research. The contributors to Academic Star Wars, superbly edited by Maria Yudkevich, Philip G. Altbach, and Jamil Salmi, analyze AEIs in nine European and Asian countries, including China, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, Denmark, France, Germany, and Russia, and offer penetrating insights into the successes and problems of these initiatives, as well as into the broader system of higher education itself.
Academic Star Wars provides a comprehensive analysis of AEIs across the globe as it seeks to understand the impact of these programs on national higher ed systems. The contributors explore a host of topics, including how the idea of excellence varies across national systems; the lessons to be drawn from the most successful AEIs; the consequences of AEIs, both intended and unintended, for participating universities; and whether AEIs ensure a significant impact on the global standing of national higher education systems.
Finally, the contributors offer policy recommendations for national decision-makers and university leaders, taking into account the variety of initial conditions of national higher education systems and the differences in AEI design, scope, and funding.
Edited by:
Maria Yudkevich,
Philip G. Altbach,
Jamil Salmi
Imprint: MIT Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 227mm,
Width: 152mm,
Spine: 19mm
Weight: 344g
ISBN: 9780262546850
ISBN 10: 026254685X
Pages: 282
Publication Date: 03 January 2024
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Acknowledgments vii Introduction ix 1 The Context of Academic Excellence Initiatives 1 Philip G. Altbach, Jamil Salmi, and Maria Yudkevich 2 Academic Excellence Initiatives: The Case of China 11 Rui Yang 3 Academic Excellence Initiatives in Japan: Can a Series of Government Interventions Make a Difference? 33 Akiyoshi Yonezawa 4 Malaysia's Quest for Excellence in Higher Education 57 Chang Da Wan and Tien Hong Lim 5 Academic Excellence Initiatives in the Republic of Korea: Brain Korea 21 81 Byung Shik Rhee and Meishan Yin 6 Did Taiwan Academic Excellence Initiatives Build World-Class Universities? Governance, Funding Schemes, and Policy Shifts 107 Angela Yung Chi Hou 7 Academic Excellence Initiatives: The Danish Case 129 Lise Degn 8 Academic Excellence a la Francaise: Between Excellence and Equality 151 Andree Sursock 9 The Long and Winding Road to Excellence: The German Case 177 Torger Moller and Stefan Hornbostel 10 A Project for the Elite That Changed the System as a Whole: A Case Study of Project 5-100 203 Andrey Volkov, Yaroslav Kuzminov, and Maria Yudkevich 11 The Transformative Impact of Academic Excellence Initiatives: What Have We Learned? 227 Jamil Salmi, Philip G. Altbach, and Maria Yudkevich Contributors 251 Index 257
Maria Yudkevich is Research Fellow in the Center for International Higher Education at Boston College. Previously she was Professor and Head of the Center for Institutional Studies at HSE University, Moscow. She is a coauthor of Higher Education in Russia. Philip G. Altbach is Research Professor and Distinguished Fellow of the Center for International Higher Education, Boston College. He is the author of Global Perspectives on Higher Education and other books. Jamil Salmi is a global tertiary education expert; former Higher Education Coordinator, World Bank; Emeritus Professor of Higher Education Policy, Diego Portales University, Chile; and Research Fellow, Center for International Higher Education, Boston College.
