The role of global universities
> Failure to live up to these requisites will leave an institution out of the game
PROF Sir Leszek Borysiewicz University of Cambridge Vice Chancellor asked, in his address in the Jeffrey Cheah Distinguished Speaker Series held at Sunway University: “What does it mean in this day and age to be a world-class university?
“If I had to use another term to world-class and maybe, just transport it a little to say, what does it mean to call ourselves a global university? For me, a university is global when it reflects global diversity, when it addresses global issues, when it establishes global partnerships, and when it takes on the mantle of global leadership,” he said.
Reflect global diversity Cambridge understands diversity to mean that the university must not only offer a variety in coursework and subject matter, but also the types of education they provide. Borysiewicz feels strongly that they must be open to a multiplicity of educational approaches and be prepared to incorporate them into their own working practices.
“Change is good. You need to keep up with the directions of the future, and that is easy to say, not easy to do. For example, Cambridge has struggled to find a way to incorporate Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) but it might be used to offer something quite distinctive or non-degree qualifications, for instance.
“We are currently reviewing the best ways to make use of new technologies to improve students’ experience, but not wishing to part too far from our tried and tested commitment that make us distinctive in a global sense. I am sure Sunway will continue to strive and adopt the best practices in education because improving the educational offer is one of the ways which we can ensure we are global,” he said.
Underpinning Cambridge’s claims to be global is the willingness to consider, if not always embrace the diversity of world views.
Address global issues Whether it is issues on security, energy sustainability, the perils of climate change or the reality of mass migration, these challenges we face on this small planet are global – they are important and they are urgent. “The world needs solutions to these challenges and it is up to global universities to step up and ensure we play a part not just in pontificating on the problem, but looking for practical solutions to the issues we face. “Collaboration between research performing institutions both domestically and internationally is no