Institutional Autonomy Revisited:
National Dimensions, Cross-regional Experiences
Chiang Mai, Thailand, December 8-9, 2006
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| SPEAKERS, ABSTRACTS AND
PRESENTATIONS |
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GOOLAM MOHAMEDBHAI
PRESIDENT, IAU |
Prof Goolam Mohamedbhai is
former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mauritius, and current
President of IAU. He joined the University of Mauritius as
Lecturer in 1972 and was appointed Professor in 1978. He did his
postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley 80 and
his field of specialization is reinforced concrete structures and he
has widely published in international journals. He is also the
author of some 20 conference papers and technical reports. He is
a member of professional civil engineering associations in UK, USA and
Mauritius. He has served as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering
and Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mauritius before his
appointment as Vice-Chancellor. Prof Mohamedbhai has undertaken
consultancies and commissioned studies for a number of international
organizations including IDRC (Canada), the UN Economic Commission for
Africa, UNCHS (Habitat), the UNESCO Regional Office for Education in
Africa and the Association of African Universities. Currently he chairs
the Administrative Council of the University of the Indian Ocean and
the University Mobility in the Indian Ocean Rim (UMIOR).
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PORNCHAI MONGKHONVANIT
PRESIDENT, IAUP |
Current President of
Siam University and President of IAUP, he obtained his Bachelor of
Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Kasetsart University in
Thailand. He completed his graduate work at School of Business,
University of Wisconsin-Madison and Graduate of School of
Education-IEM, Harvard University. He has served as President of the
Association of Private Higher Education Institution of Thailand,
Chairman of the Board of National Metal and Materials Technology
Research Centre of Thailand and President of Phi Delta Kappa-Thailand
Chapter. He has produced various publications in the area of
Engineering Management, Educational Management and Leadership and
Financial Management in Higher Education, etc.,. He has also received
different award and honours, including Honorary Professorship in
Science and Technology from Autonomous University of Guadalajara;
Awards of Honour from Kyung Hee University in Korea and Soka University
in Japan; Honorary Doctoral degree from Angeles University in
Philippines and distinguished Alumni Awards from St. Gabriel’s College
and Kasetsart University.
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TISATO
KAJIYAMA
PRESIDENT, KYUSHU UNIVERSITY, JAPAN |
Graduated
from Polymer Chemistry Department, Kyushu University in 1964.
Obtained MSc (Polymer Chemistry) in 1966 and DEng (Polymer Chemistry)
in 1975 both from Kyushu University, and PhD (Polymer Physics) in 1969
from University of Massachusetts.
He was an assistant professor from 1970-1975, an associate professor
from 1975-1984 and a professor from 1984-1999 of Polymer Chemistry
Department, Kyushu University. From 1999-2001, he was a Professor
of Materials Physics and Chemistry Department, Kyushu University.
He served as the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Kyushu
University for two years from 2000 and has been the President of Kyushu
University since 2001. He also has served as Vice President of
The Japan Association of National Universities since 2003.
Abstract
In 2004, Japan’s national universities, which had hitherto been treated
as national institutions, underwent reforms to transform them into
independent "national university corporations".
The incorporation of national universities aimed to create "distinctive
universities" by melding enhanced presidential leadership, independent
and autonomous university operations, the introduction of ideas from
the private sector, a non-governmental employee system, and the
establishment of a reform cycle based on third-party assessments, etc.
This presentation reports on changes in the recent environment
surrounding universities in Japan and the significance of the
incorporation of national universities, as well as on Kyushu
University's activities as examples of autonomous university operations
under the incorporated system.
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INGRID MOSES
CHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA |
Professor Ingrid
Moses has been Chancellor of the University of Canberra since January
2006. She previously served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of New
England, Armidale, NSW from mid 1997 to early January 2006. She holds a
degree in Social Sciences from the University of Erlangen-Nurnberg in
Germany, a Master of Arts in Sociology and a PhD in higher education
(UQ).
She is the immediate past president of IAUP a member of the Advisory
Board of the International Leadership Institute of the United Nations
University where she served on Council for six years, two of these as
Chair of the Council; a member of the International Advisory Committee
of the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education (UK); Director and
Deputy Chair of the Australian Universities Quality Agency; and a
member of Council of the University of the South Pacific
Abstract
In a society which increasingly regards university education from an
instrumentalist point of view, universities’ anxious safeguarding of
their autonomy is widely seen as an attempt to evade accountability.
Yet the Australian experience shows that large scale autonomy with
regard to staffing, resource management and academic programs has
enabled universities to become more efficient and effective. There has
also been an acceptance that a corollary to autonomy is accountability.
However, over the past 20 years the boundaries of autonomy and the
concepts of efficiency and effectiveness have changed. This paper
explores the developments in Australia within a wider international
context.
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WICHIT SRI-AN
MINISTER OF EDUCATION OF THAILAND, FOUNDING PRESIDENT OF SURANNEE
UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, THAILAND |
After obtaining his BA and BEd
at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, Professor Dr Wichit Sri-An went
on to receive his Master’s and PhD in Educational Administration at the
University of Minnesota. He is former Secretary General of
Chulalongkorn University. He is also the holder of numerous honorary
PhDs, including from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, Thailand
in Distance Education and Khon Kaen University, Thailand in
Education. He is currently Minister of Education for Thailand and
the Founding President of Surannee University of Technology, and
Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, Thailand.
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ABDOU SALAM SALL
RECTOR, CHEIKH A. DIOP UNIVERSITY, DAKAR, SENEGAL |
Professor Sall received his
education at Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), defending his
first thesis in 1985 and his second in 1989. He became full
professor in 2000. He is the author and co-author of more than 30
publications in organic chemistry. He spent 6 months in 1991
carrying out post-doctoral research in Padua University in Italy.
He served as leader of the Universities Trade Union of Senegal from
1996 to 2001, and from 2000-2003, he was Dean of the Faculty of Science
and Technology and became Rector and President of UCAD Council in July
2003.
Abstract
The autonomy of Universities is the required elbow room granted to such
institutions to allow them to conduct their activities exclusively
geared towards promoting the causes and interests legitimised by their
respective collective consciousnesses. Such freedom should take into
account the stakes involved and should also be conditioned by the need
for accountability. Does University Cheikh Anta Diop – a Senegalese and
West African state-owned higher education institution – enjoy such
autonomy? Isn’t the autonomy of the University altered by the
substantial contribution of the Senegalese government (95%) to its
total budget? Does the University give account and is it fully
accountable for all its activities? What does this autonomy mean now,
at a time when, for the sake of performances and efficiency,
universities include in their governing bodies non-academic members,
local representatives, corporate officials, community leaders?
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ROLF TARRACH
RECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF LUXEMBURG |
Rector and Professor of Physics
at the University of Luxembourg, Dr Tarrach completed his PhD at the
University of Barcelona, where he later held several academic posts
(Professor, Head of Department, Vice-Rector for Scientific Promotion
and International Cooperation and Dean of Physics) from 1986 to
1998. He was President of the Spanish Council for Scientific
Research (2000-2003) and from 2003-2004, he was Academic Director of
the International Graduate School of Catalonia.
Dr Tarrach is the author of two books and over a 100 journal articles
on theoretical physics. He is also the recipient of many prestigious
international and national prizes as well as a Doctor Honoris Causa
from the University of St Petersburg. He is a member of various boards,
commissions and scientific committees, notably for the European
Commission and the Euroscience Open Forum
Abstract
First the theoretical role in contributing to the strategy and the
decision-making of the academic institution of the different key
players will be analyzed. An attempt at quantification will be
presented, both for mainly publicly and mainly privately funded
universities, both with and without substantial funding contribution
from student fees. This allows defining what is meant by autonomy, and
we will do so within a three tier governance scheme.
A short tour through the dialectics between the views of the
“traditional”, scholar, historically small and academic university and
the “modern”, problem-solving, large and more entrepreneurial
university will serve to set the frame for remaining discussion. A few
arguments in favor of a diverse university universe will also be put
forward here, in opposition to a more uniform one.
Then the reality of the practice of autonomy is presented, with its
problems, followed by a few ideas of how to deal with them in practice
will finally be presented.
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AGNETA BLADH
RECTOR, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF KALMAR, SWEDEN |
Agneta Bladh, rector of
University of Kalmar since February 2004. PhD in Political Science at
Stockholm University 1988. 1998-2004, served as State Secretary at the
Swedish Ministry of Education and Science, responsible for Higher
Education and Research. 1995-1998 served as Director General at the
National Agency for Higher Education. Dr Bladh is Vice President of the
Swedish Association of Universities and Colleges has been member of
evaluating teams of institutional reviews preparing allocation of funds
for strategic research centres. She is also a member of a Government
commission in Norway, concerning the structure of the Norwegian
university system.
Abstract
In recent years, Swedish higher education institutions have experienced
reduced regulations whilst at the same time more authority has been
given to the boards of the institutions. Paradoxically this
situation has neither been experienced as an increase in autonomy nor
as increased – or maintained – academic freedom.
On the contrary, dependency on new external factors, such as increased
external economic support, has reduced independence both at the
institutional and the individual level. In order to
counterbalance these external forces, clear and distinct academic
leadership is required, along with increased goal orientation in the
internal decision-making of higher education institutions.
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DEEPAK NAYYAR
IAU VICE-PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF DELHI, INDIA |
Deepak Nayyar is Professor of Economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University,
New Delhi. Earlier, he taught at the University of Oxford, the
University of Sussex, and the Indian Institute of Management,
Calcutta. He was, until recently, Vice Chancellor of the
University of Delhi. He served as Chief Economic Adviser to the
Government of India and Secretary in the Ministry of Finance. He was
educated at St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi.
Thereafter, as a Rhodes Scholar, he went on to study at Balliol
College, University of Oxford, where he obtained a B Phil and a D Phil
in Economics. He has published several books and articles in
professional journals. His books include India’s Exports and Export
Policies, Migration, Remittances and Capital Flows, The Intelligent
Person’s Guide to Liberalization, and Governing Globalization: Issues
and Institutions. He has been a Member of the World Commission on the
Social Dimension of Globalization. He is an Honorary Fellow of Balliol
College, Oxford. Professor Nayyar is Chairman of the Board of Governors
of the UNU World Institute for Development Economics Research,
Helsinki, a Member of the Board of Directors of the Social Science
Research Council in the United States, and Chairman of the Advisory
Council for the Department of International Development, Queen
Elizabeth House, University of Oxford. He is a member of
the recently constituted National Knowledge Commission in India. He is
also Vice President of the International Association of Universities,
Paris.
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LUC WEBER
IAU VICE PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF GENEVA, SWITZERLAND |
Educated in the
fields of economics and political science, Luc Weber has been Professor
of Public Economics at the University of Geneva since 1975. As an
economist, he serves as an adviser to Switzerland’s federal government,
as well as to cantonal governments, and has been a member of the “Swiss
Council of Economic Advisers” for three years. Since 1982, Prof. Weber
has been deeply involved in university management and higher education
policy, first as vice-rector, then as rector of the University of
Geneva, as well as Chairman and, subsequently, Consul for international
affairs of the Swiss Rectors’ Conference. He is also the co-founder,
with Werner Hirsch, of the Glion Colloquium and a funding Board Member
of the European University Association (EUA). At present he is Chair of
the Steering Committee for Higher Education and Research of the Council
of Europe, as well as Vice-President and Treasurer of IAU.
Abstract
This paper is built around the strong and recent resurgence of the need
to reaffirm the necessity of university autonomy and is fully in line
with the statements of the European commission and the Parliamentary
assembly of the council of Europe. It will develop two lines of
arguments: University autonomy is a necessary condition for excellence,
but not a sufficient condition because public authorities have a
responsibility towards higher education and research and higher
education institutions themselves have also an important responsibility
towards their stakeholders and sponsors. The paper will also make some
brief comments on academic freedom which I consider being the
quintessence of institutional autonomy as well as subordinated to it.
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ALVARO ROMO
SECRETARY GENERAL, IAUP; ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT OF HISPANIC
ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (HACU) |
Dr Romo is currently
Secretary-General of IAUP and Vice-President for Programmes, Services
and International Affairs of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and
Universities (HACU). HACU has a membership of nearly 500
institutions.
Dr Romo has had a distinguished international career as a promoter of
education collaboration around the world, with over 30 years experience
in the development of international opportunities including mobility
and exchange programmes.
With an earned doctorate in Educational Administration, Dr Romo has an
honorary doctorate from the Catholic University of Petropolis, Brazil
and another one from Penza State University, Russia.
Abstract
This presentation will deal with the vitally important need to protect
academic freedom in higher education and to face the challenge of
promoting intellectual pluralism at a moment in our history where we
are plagued by confrontation and intolerance. Specific areas of
fundamental importance that need to be considered are the following:
This presentation will focus on the perspective from the Americas, i.e.
drawing on examples from North America, as well as Central and South
America. The reflections on these burning issues are presented in the
spirit of protecting the values of true institutional autonomy and true
academic freedom. Extreme political or ideological positions, as we try
to move forward in the path of progress in the 21st century, constitute
a serious threat to these values.
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JAMIL SALMI
EDUCATION SECTOR MANAGER, WORLD BANK |
Jamil Salmi, a
Moroccan education economist, is the coordinator of the World Bank’s
network of tertiary education professionals and was the Bank’s official
representative at the UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education
(WCHE, Paris, October 1998) and at the WCHE + 5 Conference in June
2003. Mr. Salmi was a member of the Board of the African Virtual
University in 2003 and 2004. He is currently a member of the
International Advisory Network of the UK Leadership Foundation for
Higher Education, and a member of the Editorial Committee of OECD’s
Journal of Higher Education Management.
Abstract
In recent years, most tertiary education systems have experienced
increased institutional autonomy, often combined with increased
accountability towards the State. At the same time, as
universities have taken on additional responsibilities and functions,
they have become more responsive to the needs of the market. This
article examines the tensions that these trends create for
universities, exploring the differential impact on public and private
institutions across industrial and developing countries. The
article starts by outlining the multiplicity of needs that universities
are expected to meet vis-à-vis various stakeholders (society,
the State, employers, students, professors). It then reviews the
accountability instruments that can be used to stimulate and monitor
the fulfillment of these various needs and their implications for
institutional autonomy. It concludes by advocating a
multi-dimensional approach to institutional autonomy and accountability
and making recommendations about the related capacity building needs of
tertiary education institutions.
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KHUNYING
SUCHADA KIRANANDANA
PRESIDENT, CHULALONGKORN UNIVERSITY |
Khunying
Suchada Kiranandana graduated with BCom from Chulalongkorn University
in 1967 and PhD (Statistics) from Harvard University in 1976.
After teaching at North Carolina State University for 2 years, she
returned home to teach at Chulalongkorn University and also took
administrative roles as Statistics Department Head, Faculty of Commerce
and Accountancy Dean, Graduate School Dean and became President since
April 2004.
Khunying Suchada is well recognized in many areas aside from academic.
She was the first international member of the TOEFL Policy Council,
ETS, during 1997 – 2000. She is currently President of the Thai
Statistical Association, board member of the Thai Red Cross Society and
Kasikorn Bank and Chairperson of Phufa Shop Committee.
Abstract
As an institution for knowledge creation and disseminating it, the
university normally holds autonomy to be a necessary condition for
raising university quality. However, perception and
interpretation of autonomy change as time, society and the economy
evolve. Vis-a-vis the state, universities seek self-governance in
affairs academic, financial and administrative. Today,
universities have gained more autonomy from the state through the
latter’s relaxing rules and regulations and the use of quality
assurance systems. With rising demand for higher education, the
advancement in technology, the impact of globalization plus reduction
in state funding, universities now seek to generate more revenue from
their own products and services, and consequently introduce market
mechanisms into higher education. Given the challenges
universities face in the 21st century and cuts in state funding,
autonomy from the market is increasingly complicated and difficult to
maintain. By itself, enhanced autonomy from the state by does not
necessarily or directly mean less autonomy from the market.
How universities are to balance autonomy from the market on one side,
from the state on the other and how to ensure both are compatible with
upholding high quality is a matter of on-going concern.
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HOWARD NEWBY
VICE-CHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF ENGLAND, UK |
Vice-Chancellor of
the University of the West of England, Sir Howard Newby previously
served as Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for
England (2001-2006) and president of Universities UK (1999-2001).
He was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton from 1994-2001,
and Chairman (1988-1994) and Chief Executive (1994) of the Economic and
Social Research council (ESRC). He was formerly Professor of
Sociology of the University of Essex and the University of Wisconsin,
Madison, USA and has published many books and articles on social change
in rural England. Sir Howard was awarded a CBE in 1995 for his services
to social science and a knighthood in 2000 for his services to higher
education.
Abstract
Throughout the world Governments face serious challenges over the
public funding of higher education. They are all looking
for an expansion of student numbers consistent with the enhancement of
quality whilst seeking to avoid a commensurate increase in public
funding. This creates tensions in resourcing. Meanwhile the
expectations placed upon the modern university continue to
increase. The collision between the expectations of stakeholders
and the reliability of public funding threaten the long term
sustainability of higher education.
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ANDRIS BARBLAN
SECRETARY-GENERAL, MAGNA CHARTA OBSERVATORY, BOLOGNA, ITALY |
A Swiss national
(1943), Dr Barblan was educated in English and History in Lausanne and
received a PhD in political Science in Geneva in 1973. First youth
secretary for Europe and Asia of the World Council of Churches
(1968-71), he was Denis de Rougemont’s assistant at the Centre
européen de la culture (Geneva) (1973-1976) before becoming
Secretary General of the CRE, Association of European Universities
(1976-2001) and of its successor, EUA, the European University
Association (2001-2002). Since then, Secretary General of the Magna
Charta Observatory on the Universities’ Fundamental Values and Rights,
Bologna, he also consults the Mario Boella Institute, Turin, on
knowledge development strategies in European cities.
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EVA
EGRON-POLAK
SECRETARY GENERAL, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES (IAU) |
Eva Egron-Polak was
educated in the Czech Republic, Canada and France. Having studied
Political Science, French Literature, and International Political
Economy, her post-graduate research focused on higher education and
particularly on early European Union policy in this area. She has
had extensive experience in higher education having served for more
than 15 year in various senior positions at the Association of
Universities and Colleges of Canada prior to becoming the Secretary
General of IAU in 2002. Her last position at AUCC prior coming to
IAU was Vice-President, International. As Secretary General of
IAU, she is engaged with most pressing issues in current higher
education policy debates globally – internationalization and
intercultural learning, quality of cross-border higher education,
access to higher education and sustainable development among others.
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