Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Producing and Re/producing the Global University in the 21st Century: Researcher Perspectives and Policy Consequences

  • Article
  • Published:
Higher Education Policy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper examines some aspects of current debates about what constitutes the global university in the 21st century, focusing particularly on concepts and perspectives about how the idea of a university is being produced and reproduced. As well as exploring the theoretical and empirical content of eight different analyses ranging from the relationship between the university and the welfare state to the effects of the financialization of academic publishing, this paper considers the relevance of the arguments presented to universities themselves and the extent to which the contributions analyzed might also appeal to policy makers and university leaders. The eight analyses selected are among those presented at two recent international seminar series on universities, ideas, and globalization processes for which the author was a co-organizer.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Debbie Epstein and Phil Brown from Cardiff University and Rebecca Boden from the University of Wales Institute Cardiff for Geographies and Ian Wei and Ka Ho Mok from Bristol University for Purposes.

References

  • Bassett, R. (2007) ‘International Organizations: An Examination of Their Historical and Current Influence on Global Higher Education Policy’, World University Network Seminar Series Universities and Ideas, http://recordings.wun.ac.uk/id/2007/id20070514/index.html.

  • Ciancanelli, P. (2007) ‘Re/producing Universities: Knowledge Dissemination, Market Power and the Global Knowledge Commons’, in D. Epstein, R. Boden, R. Deem, F. Rizvi and S. Wright (eds.) World Year Book of Education 2008: Geographies of Knowledge, Geometries of Power: Framing the Future of Higher Education in the 21st Century, London: Routledge Falmer, pp. 67–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, B. (1998) Creating Entrepreneurial Universities: Organisational Pathways of Transformation, New York: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cunningham, P. (2007) ‘Guardians of Knowledge, Drivers of Change: Universities Serving Society’, plenary address given to the Research Mission of the University Conference of the Consortium of Higher Education Researchers; 1 September; Dublin, Ireland.

  • Dale, R. (2007) ‘Repairing the Deficits of Modernity; the Emergence of Parallel Discourses in Higher Education in Europe’, in D. Epstein, R. Boden, R. Deem, F. Rizvi and S. Wright (eds.) World Year Book of Education 2008: Geographies of Knowledge, Geometries of Power: Framing the Future of Higher Education in the 21st Century, London: Routledge Falmer, pp. 14–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deem, R. (2001) ‘Globalisation, new managerialism, academic capitalism and entrepreneurialism in universities; is the local dimension still important?’, Comparative Education 37 (1): 7–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deem, R. (2006a) ‘Changing research perspectives on the management of higher education: can research permeate the activities of manager-academics?’, Higher Education Quarterly 60 (3): 203–228.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deem, R. (2006b) ‘Conceptions of contemporary European universities: to do research or not to do research?’ European Journal of Education 41 (2): 281–304.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deem, R., Fulton, O., Johnson, R., Hillyard, S., Reed, M. and Watson, S. (2001) ‘New Managerialism and the Management of UK Universities’, End of Award Report Swindon, Economic and Social Research Council, http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/ViewAwardPage.aspx?data=aysN67OSmH%2f4mKibNqyEcPaU2MSTsPt6VIWlBC%2f7QiiZy5R4Ny5FWZ5Z5Q9b7dqmcsFjyRRkdvp3Y4Qs5T20rjWvCB5OhNjQwqH5bzvzFv21RGde9Q2wasdGaAPh5%2bTZLDDuX3pxbOQ%3d&xu=&isAwardHolder=&isProfiled=&AwardHolderID=&Sector=.

  • Deem, R., Mok, K.H. and Lucas, L. (2007) ‘Transforming Higher Education in whose Image? Exploring the Concept of the ‘World Class’ University in Europe and Asia’, World University Network Seminar Series ‘Universities and Ideas’, http://recordings.wun.ac.uk/id/2007.

  • Deem, R., Mok, K.H. and Lucas, L. (2008) ‘Transforming higher education in whose image? Exploring the concept of the ‘world class’ university in Europe and Asia’, Higher Education Policy 21: 83–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DiMaggio, P. and Powell, W. (1991) ‘Introduction’, in P. DiMaggio and W. Powell (eds.) The New Institutionalism in Organisational Analysis, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, pp. 1–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, D., Boden, R., Deem, R. and Brown, P. (2006–2007) ‘Geographies of Knowledge; Geometries of Power, ESRC Seminar Series’, School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/socsi/newsandevents/events/geographiesofknowledge/index.html.

  • Epstein, D., Boden, R., Deem, R., Rizvi, F. and Wright, S. (eds.) (2007) World Year Book of Education 2008: Geographies of Knowledge, Geometries of Power: Framing the Future of Higher Education in the 21st Century, London: Routledge Falmer.

    Google Scholar 

  • European Commission. (2003) ‘The Role of the Universities in the Europe of Knowledge’, COM 58, Brussels: European Commission Communication.

  • European Commission. (2006) ‘Delivering on the Modernisation Agenda for Universities; Education, Research and Innovation’, COM 208, http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/2010/lisbon_en.html.

  • Fuller, S. (2007) ‘University Leadership in the Twenty-first Century: The Case for Academic Caesarism’, in D. Epstein, R. Boden, R. Deem, F. Rizvi and S. Wright (eds.) World Year Book of Education 2008: Geographies of Knowledge, Geometries of Power: Framing the Future of Higher Education in the 21st Century, London: Routledge Falmer, pp. 50–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kehm, B. (2007) ‘Doctoral Education — Quo Vadis?’, plenary address given to the Research Mission of the University Conference of the Consortium of Higher Education Researchers; 31 August; Dublin, Ireland.

  • Kwiek, M. (2007) ‘The university and the welfare state in transition: changing public services in a wider context’, in D. Epstein, R. Boden, R. Deem, F. Rizvi and S. Wright (eds.) World Year Book of Education 2008: Geographies of Knowledge, Geometries of Power: Framing the Future of Higher Education in the 21st Century, London: Routledge Falmer, pp. 32–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyotard, J.F. (1984) The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge, Manchester: Manchester University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marginson, S. (1998) ‘The West Report as national education policy making’, The Australian Economic Review 31 (2): 157–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marginson, S. (2006) ‘Dynamics of national and global competition in higher education’, Higher Education 52 (1): 1–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marginson, S. (2007) ‘Global Flows and Global Field: Imagining Worldwide Relations of Power in Higher Education’, paper presented to the ESRC Geographies of Knowledge, Geometries of Power Seminar Series; 7 February; Newtown, Powys.

  • Marginson, S. and Sawir, E. (2005) ‘Interrogating global flows in higher education’, Globalisation, Societies and Education 3 (3): 281–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education. (1997) ‘Higher Education in the Learning Society’, HMSO, http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/ncihe/.

  • Nedeva, M. (2007) ‘New Tricks and Old Dogs? The ‘Third Mission’ and the Re-production of the University’, in D. Epstein, R. Boden, R. Deem, F. Rizvi and S. Wright (eds.) World Year Book of Education 2008: Geographies of Knowledge, Geometries of Power: Framing the Future of Higher Education in the 21st Century, London: Routledge Falmer, pp. 85–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newman, J.H. (1976) The Idea of the University, Modern Edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ordorika, I. (2007) ‘Diversity and Social Responsibility in Contemporary Public Research Universities’, plenary address given to the ‘Research Mission of the University’ Conference of the Consortium of Higher Education Researchers; 1 September; Dublin, Ireland.

  • Peters, M. (2007) ‘Reimagining the University in the Global Era’, World University Network Seminar Series ‘Universities and Ideas’, http://recordings.wun.ac.uk/id/2007/id20070525/index.html.

  • Readings, B. (1996) The University in Ruins, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saint-Martin, D. (1998) ‘The new managerialism and the policy influence of consultants in government: a historical–institutionalist analysis of Britain, Canada and France’, Governance: An International Journal of Policy and Administration 11 (3): 319–356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verger Planelles, A. (2006) ‘Higher Education and Free Trade: The Liberalisation of HE in the GATS Framework’, paper presented to the ESRC ‘Geographies of Knowledge/Geometries of Power’ Seminar Series http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/schoolsanddivisions/academicschools/socsi/news/events/globalhe/seminar1/litjens.html.

  • Von Humboldt, W. (1970) ‘University reform in Germany: reports and documents; ‘On the spirit and the organisational framework of intellectual institutions in Berlin’’, Minerva 8: 242–250. (reprint of original).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y. (2007) ‘China's Higher Education on a Overpass of 4 Fold Enrollment Expansion’, World University Network Seminar Series on ‘Universities and Ideas’, http://recordings.wun.ac.uk/id/2007/id20070430/index.html.

  • Wei, I., Deem, R. and Mok, K.H. (2007) ‘The Purposes of Universities: Ideas and Realities’, World University Network Seminar Series on ‘Universities and Ideas’, http://recordings.wun.ac.uk/id/2007/.

  • West, R. (1998) Learning for Life: Review of Higher Education Funding and Policy West Report, Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol, 221 Helen Wodehouse Building, 35 Berkeley Square, Clifton, BS8 1JA, Bristol, UK

    Rosemary Deem

Authors
  1. Rosemary Deem
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rosemary Deem.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Deem, R. Producing and Re/producing the Global University in the 21st Century: Researcher Perspectives and Policy Consequences. High Educ Policy 21, 439–456 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1057/hep.2008.18

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/hep.2008.18

Keywords

Search

Navigation