No.

33 15 June 2008

THE GLOBAL UNIVERSITY MODEL (PART 1)

The Characteristics of a Global University
Introduction
Universities are universal and increasingly international, but they are not yet global (Pilsbury, 2007).
Notwithstanding the fact that we are now living in an era of rapid globalisation and concurrently moving
towards increased emphasis on creative knowledge economies, nevertheless, as Pilsbury (2007) highlighted,
universities still do not have a clear sense of what it takes or what it means to be a global university.
It cannot be denied that the concepts of internationalisation and globalisation have captured the attention of
higher education for almost a decade. These two terms seem identical and might have overlapping features
but they are also distinct (Mohrman et al., 2008). Internationalisation of the university can be seen as a series of
policies and decisions within the control of the institution, namely curricula, international recruitment and joint
ventures; whereas, globalisation tends to be something beyond the control of the institution, such as the flow of
technology, knowledge, people, ideas and values. Knight (2003, cited in Mohrman et al., 2008) further
summarised the concept that internationalisation is changing the world of education and globalisation is
changing the world of internationalisation.
The Model
Therefore, with the dominant factors of internationalisation and globalisation adding to the increasingly
intensified nature of knowledge development in todays society, universities are faced with greater challenges
to accomplish the mission entrusted upon them. Currently, research universities are deemed to be the elite
institutions within the system.
Research universities play the role of educating both undergraduates and graduates, train professionals,
provide service to society, and engage in applied work and technology transfer; at the same time, they are
also equipped with libraries, laboratories and various support frameworks to produce scholarly work. More
importantly, the distinguishing feature of research universities is the production of new knowledge in science
and technology (Mohrman et al., 2008).
Adding on to the concept of research universities, higher education scholars defined the Emerging Global
Model (EGM) of the 21st century research university. This proposed global model emphasised the international
nature of small groups of institutions that represent the leading edge of higher education in embracing the
forces of globalisation. An EGM university engages in worldwide competition for students, faculty and funding,
and operates in a transnational setting that transcends the traditional understanding of domestic political
framework, local cultural-linguistic elements and boundaries of countries.
The Characteristics
The New Century Scholars group (the Fulbright programme) 2006-2007, that proposed the EGM university
model, have identified eight major characteristics that are essential to distinguish the global university, and
these were discussed in Mohrman et al. (2008).

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(i) Global Mission

Refer to universities who have missions transcending the boundaries of the nation-state; taking the global
perspective and advancing the frontier of knowledge worldwide. This includes intensified cross-border mobility
of students and increased international collaborations of research and scholarly work.
(ii) Knowledge Production
Universities that are able to produce knowledge in a highly legitimate fashion, combining the prized scientific
and technological advances as well as scientific study of human environments through social sciences.
Thomas (2007) highlighted that global research cannot claim to be global by merely connecting people and
maximising use of logistics, but rather, marshalling the huge intellectual and logistical resources to address
global problems and questions in new ways.
(iii) New Roles of Faculty
Professors are not only expected to publish research and teach, but also to provide service to the universities
and utilise their knowledge for the benefit of local, national and international communities. As compared to
their counterparts in less prestigious institutions, faculty in a global university are expected to have richer funds
for research, more networks and collaborations with their foreign counterparts and at the same time pursue
more exciting intellectual challenges.
(iv) Diversified Funding
Universities are expected to go beyond government support and student contributions to diversify their
financial resources, with the possibilities to include corporations and private donors, competitive grants for
technology innovation and the creation of for-profit businesses as spin-offs of research enterprises.
(v) Multi-sector Linkages
Strong working relationships between universities, governments, businesses, corporations, industries and
societies to enhance knowledge creation that lead to sustainable development.
(vi) Worldwide Recruitment
Adopting worldwide recruitment strategies for students, faculty and administrators, and at the same time
taking into account cultural sensitivity.
(vii) Complex University Organisation
The changing landscape of the institutions posed greater complexity to the internal organisation of the
university. More comprehensive and expanded structure is essential to encompass interdisciplinary researches
and the allocation of resources; and concurrently include accountability and transparency in the
administration of internal assessments and evaluations.
(viii) Global Collaboration
The university seeks to be an active partner with international non-governmental and multi-governmental organisations in areas of collaborative research, mobility of students and faculty as well as the validation of
international stature to the institution.
Prepared by:
Mr. Wan Chang Da (Research Officer, IPPTN)
Associate Professor Dr. Sarjit Kaur (Associate Research Fellow, IPPTN)
Professor Muhamad Jantan (Acting Director, IPPTN)
Sources:
Mohrman, K., Ma, W. and Baker, D. (2008). The research university in transition: The emerging global model. Higher
Education Policy, 21, 5-27.
Pilsbury, D. (2007). Introduction. In Realising the global university. London: The Observatory on Borderless Higher
Education (OBHE).
Thomas, E. (2007). Defining the global university. In Realising the global university. London: The Observatory on
Borderless Higher Education (OBHE).

Institut Penyelidikan Pendidikan Tinggi Negara . Suite 109, Tingkat 1 . Kompleks EUREKA . Universiti Sains Malaysia .
Tel: 604 - 6590534, 604 - 6534090 . Fax: 604-6590532
Website: www.usm.my/ipptn . E-mail: ipptn@yahoo.com