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The World-Class University: Concept and Policy Initiatives

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Institutionalization of World-Class University in Global Competition

Abstract

In the 2000s, many countries joined the global race to build a world-class university (WCU) in the knowledge society. These initiatives have been institutionalized in many countries including European and Latin-American countries as well in Asia. However, the concept of a world-class university is complicated to define although WCU is a hot issue for policymakers and academics. This chapter defines WCU from a conceptual and practical point of view. Institutionalization processes are discussed from the government policy level to the individual faculty level, and the challenges that a WCU brings are also discussed. Finally, this chapter discusses the future of current WCUs and proposed future discussion for diversified models for higher education institutions.

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Correspondence to Jung Cheol Shin .

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Shin, J.C. (2013). The World-Class University: Concept and Policy Initiatives. In: Shin, J., Kehm, B. (eds) Institutionalization of World-Class University in Global Competition. The Changing Academy – The Changing Academic Profession in International Comparative Perspective, vol 6. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4975-7_2

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