Praise the Lord!
Collaboration in Higher Education in the Context of Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization in the 21st Century
Dr D.K.V.Gangatharan,M.A., B.L.,M.Ed.,Ph.D.,P.G.D.T.E
State Research and Evaluation Coordinator, SSA
State Project Directorate, College Road,Chennai-6
Introduction:
The university at present has transformed itself into a power-broker with institutional policies and practices which help maintain a certain mode of control and ownership from student recruitment and assessment to faculty instruction and degree recognition. In many ways, it has become a business, and as such, the mentoring bonds between teachers and students are becoming less consistent. The enforcement of certain guidelines to maintain and preserve the institution’s integrity and, perhaps more importantly, to streamline procedures to educate as many students as possible are the underlying causes.
The international sale of higher education, including international education, has provided impetus for the institution to compete for students and staff for some measure of profitability, and in certain instances, has caused it to shift from civic responsibility to business opportunity. The universities in U.S.A, U.K. and Australiaare much sought after institutions for Indian students.
These significant influences detailed above are clearly forces that are helping form and legitimize the existence of international university organisations. First, there continue to be teacher-student relationships that take advantage of personal faculty networks worldwide for study, research, and the general sharing of knowledge. Second, there are institutions that are creating their own inter-institutional partnerships to expand their market share, to consolidate costs by sharing resources, or to seek some tangible---often financial---benefit. Finally, there are free-standing organisations which are separate from academic institutions but nontheless serve them in...