World-Class Universities and the Imitation Game: The Reality of the Global South

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Eight
  In Roundtable Session: Implementing Equitable Higher Education Policy Within an Inequitable Policy Environment (Table 4)

Abstract

The increasingly globalized higher education environment puts universities under pressure to prove their academic worth through placing emphasis on research production needed to enter the global knowledge economy.Policy makers find the “world-class university” to be appealing.The WCU concept reflects the western model and values of the research-oriented academic institution.Egyptian policymakers have proposed reform plans that heavily adopt western models to make Egypt's higher education system more competitive.Centering the Global South context reveals the inequalities of globalized higher education especially regarding the ability of different higher education systems to participate in the global knowledge economy. critical analysis showed that policies frame the problem of Egypt’s HE as lacking international competitiveness because it is not positioned within the top world class status.

Author

• Koboul Elsayed Mansour, Hamilton College
  Presenting Author