This document summarizes a presentation on the relationship between emerging world-class universities and higher education reforms from the perspective of new managerialism. It defines new managerialism and the characteristics of a world-class university. It then outlines some of the challenges in establishing a world-class university, including the lack of a clear definition, sustaining endless resources, the intermediary role of governments, and impacts on stratification in higher education. The conclusion is that establishing a world-class university may be a highly political process involving significant government investment and decisions around selection, resources, and more.

1. A Review of Relationships between
Emerging World-class Universities and
Higher Education Reforms:
The Perspective of New Managerialism
Ya-Wen Hou, Che-Wei Lee, and W. James Jacob
University of Pittsburgh
San Juan, Puerto Rico, 24 April 2012
1Copyright @ 2012 by Hou, Lee, and Jacob

2. Today’s agenda
• Introduction
• Definition of New Managerialism
• Characteristics of a WCU
• Challenges for a WCU
• Conclusion
2Copyright @ 2012 by Hou, Lee, and Jacob

3. Introduction
• Economy of research universities
• Ranking of WCUs
– Most in Western countries, such as the US, UK, and
in other parts of Europe
– A few are from China, Hong Kong, and Japan
• Projects pursuing WCUs in Asian
Countries
– Mainland China: Projects 211 and 985
– Taiwan: Five-Years-50-Billion Budget Project
– South Korea: Brain Korea 21 (BK 21) Project
– Japan: Centre of Excellence (COE) for the 21st Century
3Copyright @ 2012 by Hou, Lee, and Jacob

4. What is “new managerialsm”?
• New managerialism vs. New public
management
– New managerialism: A political ideology
– New public management: A technical process of
management
• Characteristics of new managerialism
– To obliterate the bureaucratic rule-following procedures
– To focus on the performances and accountability
– To attain financial and other targets
– To develop quasi-markets for public services
– To establish partnerships between public and private
institutions
4Copyright @ 2012 by Hou, Lee, and Jacob

5. A WCU means…
• Attracting the best students and qualified
faculty members
• Excellence in instruction and research
• Internationalization
• Great benefits
– Ability to attract large amounts of money
– Possessing abundant resources
– Promoting local economies
– Improving global competitiveness
5Copyright @ 2012 by Hou, Lee, and Jacob

6. Ideal model of a WCU
Source: Salmi, 2009, p.32. 6

7. Challenge 1:
No specific definition and criteria
• Who defines a WCU?
• How to evaluate a university as a WCU?
• Does a university with high performance
equal a WCU?
“Everyone wants one, no one
knows what it is, and no one
knows how to get one.”
–Philip G. Altbach (2004)
7Copyright @ 2012 by Hou, Lee, and Jacob

8. Challenge 2: Difficulty of
sustaining endless resources
• Global recession
• No guarantee of government’ annual
appropriations
• No promise of stable endowment
• No guarantee of the success of a WCU
• Debate on student tuition and fees
• Debate on what the priority will be in a
WCU
8Copyright @ 2012 by Hou, Lee, and Jacob

9. Challenge 3:
Intermediary role of government
WCU
Govern
ments
HE
Reforms
9Copyright @ 2012 by Hou, Lee, and Jacob

10. Challenge 4:
Impacts on stratification in higher education
WCU
Non-
WCU
10Copyright @ 2012 by Hou, Lee, and Jacob

11. Conclusion
• Several benefits from the leading
universities
• Establishing a WCU may be POLITICAL
– Money/ investment of government for
making a WCU
– Selection of students, faculty members,
academic fields, etc.
– Financial resource allocation
11Copyright @ 2012 by Hou, Lee, and Jacob