The Gap at the Top: Real Concern or Red Herring? Stephen Tallman E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Professor

The Rankings Gap Does Exist  QS World University Rankings Top 200 /2013 show:  Times Higher Education World University  13 Emerging Market nation universities  28 Emerging Market nation universities  10 BRICS nation universities Rankings Top 200 include:  3 BRICS nation universities

And is NOT Evenly Distributed THE:  Brazil – 0 in top 200; 2 in the range  Russia – 1 in the range (plus some high-ranked specialist institutes)  India – 5 in (including 4 IIT)  China – 2 in top 200; 8 in  South Africa – 1 in top 200

BRIC National Planning  Brazil: “13 th ranked producer of new knowledge”  Russia: 5 in the top 100 by 2020 – Putin  India: “We must play the same game”  China: Huge resources and a state-backed drive to build world class universities

but…BRIC Outcomes Grads of the top BRIC institutions are the equal of grads from the US top 20, even if their schools are not in the top world rankings. & The returns to university educations in this group of countries are increasing (although at different rates) -Carnoy et al.

1. Are the BRICs and other emerging market nations doing the right thing, but failing to gain recognition? Leading to: 2. Is the game rigged? 3. How can we do things right? So....Three Questions Emerge

THE Criteria  Research – 30%  Citations – 30%  Learning environment – 30%  Undergrad teaching related – 25.5%  Reputation & PhD – 4.5%  Internationalism – 7.5%  Industry research ties – 2.5% = Total research related – 74.5%

Doing Things Right: Climbing the League Tables  Increase research output – time & money  Increase citations in Web of Science [English language] journals  Bring in foreign students & faculty and ‘promote the brand’ Hire foreign or foreign-trained faculty and encourage and support research scholarship

The Star System in Action Mk1

BUT … What does this do, anyway?  Increases the cost of the educational system while targeting the elite schools  Pulls the high potential faculty out of the classroom, especially the u/g classroom  Investing in researchers generally leads to shorting teachers  Importing stars devours budgets

The Star System in Action Mk2

1.Are the league tables a distraction, suggesting that national priorities are being shaped by publicity demands? And further: 2. Does the game matter? 3. What IS the right thing to do? So....Three Alternative Questions?

THE Criteria: Doing the Wrong Thing?  Research – 30%  Citations – 30%  Learning environment – 30%  Undergrad teaching related – 25.5%  Reputation & PhD – 4.5%  Internationalism – 7.5%  Industry research ties – 2.5% = Total research related – 74.5%

Doing the Right Thing: Indigenous Development of HE  Building more LOCALLY high-quality undergraduate programs, especially STEM programs, economics, IT, other development-oriented programs  Economic and institutional development  Individual investment and payoff  High quality technical and practical education  German system  US community colleges  Research by and for local context as an emergent skill

Example: US Economics Educators Developmental Approach  Helping foreign educators to teach market economics  Focus on widespread understanding of basics  Desired outcome of widespread economic literacy (ability to understand and apply concepts)  Organic emergence of research scholarship

Innovation: In and Beyond the Universities  Raising productivity and rewards in the economy – privatize both costs and benefits of education at all levels  Cultural change – respect for the craftsman & entrepreneur  Educational change –  Fundamental research is mobile; focus on exploitative research & learning skills  Education and training for industry needs  Apprenticeships and work-study programs  Fewer overeducated, undertrained, under-employed grads (hundreds of thousands of Indian & Chinese ‘engineers’? Already bloated government sectors?)

Universities: Going Beyond the League Tables  Mass education matters, especially in BRICs  Employment matters, especially in BRICs  Innovation matters, but is not the same as “scholarly research”  If creating a few elite research institutions distract from societal goals, then rankings are - Perhaps not just red herrings but poison bait!

Thank You Stephen Tallman E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Professor