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Globalization and Global University Rankings

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Second International Handbook on Globalisation, Education and Policy Research

Abstract

Globalization has been neither neutral nor uniform in its impact. It affects countries, cultures, and systems in different ways—some in positive ways and others in more negative ways. All sectors of society are being affected; and higher education is no exception. The increased importance of the knowledge industry, innovations in information and communication technologies, a stronger orientation to the market economy, and growth in regional and international governance systems all contribute to an accelerated flow of people, ideas, culture, technology, goods, and services in our globalized world. University documents and mission statements indicate the importance of higher education in the global arena. A number of issues link globalization and higher education, including a growing demand for post-secondary education, a growing number and types of “for-profit” sponsors of higher education, and the emergence of innovative cross-border institutions. As globalization has become the focal point of higher education, competition has become a central preoccupation. Competition is closely connected with a global free-market economy. Combined with the impact of globalization and the development of the global “knowledge economy,” these competitive forces have resulted in the global competition phenomenon that is currently reshaping higher education. Many developments characterize global competition in higher education. This paper discusses some of these developments, including (1) the rise of global university rankings, (2) declarations by nations to have a world-class university, (3) the development of regional units of control and reform, (4) the development of cross-border quality assessment practices, and (5) the internationalization of universities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, University of California, 3321 Moore Hall, Box 951 521, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1521, USA

    Val D. Rust

  2. Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, 1995 University Avenue Ste. 510, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2318, USA

    Stephanie Kim

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  1. Val D. Rust
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  2. Stephanie Kim
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Correspondence to Val D. Rust .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education and Arts, Australian Catholic University (Melbourne Campus), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Joseph Zajda

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Rust, V.D., Kim, S. (2015). Globalization and Global University Rankings. In: Zajda, J. (eds) Second International Handbook on Globalisation, Education and Policy Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9493-0_11

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