University Policy and Development Cooperation ¹) Presentation for the COREHEG Group World Bank March 22, 2011

Jo Ritzen, Professor, Maastricht University, United Nations University Maastricht/MERIT/ former VP Development Economics, Human Development Network World Bank

¹) Based on book: A chance for European Universities, Amsterdam, University Press, 2011

“The empires of the future will be empires of the mind ”

Winston Churchill(1943 in Harvard)

Applies also to developing countries!!

World wide excellence of a university World wide excellence of a university shows in attractiveness to students shows in attractiveness to students world wide.world wide.

Students move because they feel that Students move because they feel that they can gain.they can gain.

Every country should attempt to have at least one

university which is broadly attractive to students

world wide.

Language is an issue. If students can avoid the real

and psychological costs of having to learn another

language than English, they will do so. This has

limited the attractiveness of continental European

universities and those of China, Korea and Japan.

Top universities should be embedded in a Top universities should be embedded in a broader university system with strong broader university system with strong standards which allow for international standards which allow for international mobility of students.mobility of students.

Unfortunately we do not (yet?) have Unfortunately we do not (yet?) have international accreditation or quality international accreditation or quality control standards.control standards.

The system should be well financed by a combination of public and private funds.

Universities should be autonomous with clear accountability towards those who finance them (public and private). The Governance should reflect independence, with governing or supervisory boards whose composition reflects society at large.

Autonomy releases the creative and innovative powers of the university staff. It empowers.

Autonomy encompasses hiring and firing of staff, salary scales, finance (including the power to borrow money), infrastructure and buildings.

Universities prepare for an international labor market. Graduates compete with graduates from other countries.

Research universities prepare for international leadership which includes beyond professionalism also integrity, cultural sensitivity and attention for sustainability.

World wide excellence cannot be created without constant innovation in learning, realising that learning (and not teaching) is the desired outcome.

Skills labs, case studies, moot courts and all other practical experience are important elements of the curriculum. Competitions in skills between universities are helpful to assess the position of a university in skills training.

Attention is to be given to

• E-learning• Dual or concurrency learning• Joint or dual degrees with national

and foreign universities• Feedback from graduates on the

curriculum

World wide excellence in

universities is the major engine

of progress.

NGO Empower European Universities

• “Grades”/scores of University Policies of 27 EU countries

• Grading framework: + “optimal” university policy in an economic growth model+ (empirical) meso studies: what improves the rank of a country for its universities+ “introspection”of experts

• Eg. grades on legislation with respect to autonomy, to Governance, to education, finance, equality of opportunity, openness to foreign students, etc.

• Basic idea: scores drive competitiveness between countries

Development Cooperation

• Apply same / simular grading by continent

• Role of World Bank as “honest broker”

Thank YouThank You