In recent years, the realization that tertiary education is part and parcel of a country’s competitive advantage, together with the impetus given by the global rankings, have provoked a radical change in the way governments consider the role and importance of universities. Preliminary results of this work show clearly that the most successful institutions are those that have managed to align the three main components of excellence, namely critical masses of talent, abundant resources, and appropriate governance, the latter being perhaps the most critical level of rapid change. Another important finding from this work is that excellence initiatives may engender negative behaviors and carry adverse consequences. Policy makers and university leaders must keep in mind, in particular, the risk of harmful effects on teaching and learning quality, reduced equality of opportunities for students from underprivileged groups, and diminished institutional diversity.

Excellence, like all things of abiding value, is a marathon, not a sprint.

About the speaker:

Jamil Salmi

(former co-ordinator of the WorldBank’s tertiary-education programme)

The slides of the event

Bld. 36, amphitheater – room 1 - 15h-16h30

For any further information please contact:

JRC Composite Indicators Research Group
jrc-coin@jrc.ec.europa.eu