University Governance and Autonomy International Advisory Forums Began on October 4th at NCKU
Tainan, Taiwan, October 5th, 2010
To improve the system of higher education in Taiwan, elevate the quality of higher education and meet future international challenges, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) has organized the University Governance and Autonomy International Advisory Forums from October 4th to 5th in the classroom of Department of Political Science, Li-Hsing Campus, and International Conference Hall, Kuang-Fu Campus, NCKU, Tainan, Taiwan, hoping to find the most appropriate model for university development and provide revolutionary ideas for higher education and research team in Taiwan.
The University Governance and Autonomy International Advisory Forums was hosted by NCKU Prof. Yung-Nane Yang, the Chair of the Department of Political Science and Institute of Political Economy, and NCKU President Michael Ming-Chiao Lai, NCKU Senior Executive Vice-President Da-Hsuan Feng, and Associate Vice-President Ka-Ho Mok of Hong Kong Institute of Education have fully participated.
NCKU President Michael Ming-Chiao Lai expressed, “NCKU is one of the key institutions of “Aim for Top University Plan” which received funds from the Ministry of Education, Taiwan. In response to the expectations of society for NCKU, as the President of NCKU, I have the responsibilities to explore the subject of university governance and autonomy. During my three years of presidency, I have discovered issues of teaching, research, personnel, finance and accounting which are difficult to conquer and are in need of reform.”
President Lai pointed out, “The spirits of the University Governance and Autonomy International Advisory Forums are self-governance and accountability. In other words, the development direction of a university should be guided by the university and the university funding should be determined by the university. The inspection and audit of university funding should also be carried out by individual units. These are the basic principles of university governance and autonomy. I hope with the establishment of governance and autonomous system, the university competitiveness can be elevated to solve the internal and external issues we are currently facing.”
Prof. Ka-Ho Mok, the Associate Vice-President of Hong Kong Institute of Education, revealed in his speech entitled “Global Aspirations and Strategizing for World-Class Status: New Form of Higher Education Governance in Hong Kong”, “In the era of globalization, competition has become global as well. In higher education, countries worldwide are attaching increasing importance to international ranking exercises and subscribing to the ‘world-class universities’ paradigm, complemented by various strategies to benchmark with leading universities in order to enhance the global competitiveness of their universities. This is particularly so in Asia as it emerges as the center of fast-growing economies of the world.”
The speech of Prof. Ka Ho Mok reviews the major policies and strategies introduced and employed by the government and universities of Hong Kong in the quest for world-class status, examining the changing higher education governance in recruiting and retaining global talents and internationalizing their curricula in order to achieve their global aspirations, and it also explores the intra-institutional ‘politics’ within institutions involving tensions between teaching and research, and among different discipline areas.
Prof. Ka-Ho Mok stated in another speech entitled “When State Centralism Meets Neo-liberalism: Managing University Governance Change in Singapore and Malaysia”, “With strong intention to enhance the global competitiveness of their university systems, both the Singapore and Malaysia governments have introduced reforms along the lines of ideas and practices embedded in neo-liberalism. However, findings generated from campus visits and field interviews conducted in Singapore and Malaysia from 2007 to 2009 have proved that most of the front line academics have not experienced major differences in university governance after the reforms took place.”
Prof. Ka-Ho Mok further explained, “Many academics feel more pressure and control from the university administration and government ministries. Despite the fact that both the Singapore and Malaysia governments have tried to embrace the ideas and practices of ‘neo-liberalism’ to transform university governance, academics still see the state’s reluctance in withdrawing from steering or controlling higher education development. Such observations clearly reflect the ‘clash’ of two major governance philosophies, namely, ‘state centralism’ and ‘neo-liberalism.’”
Prof. Ka-Ho Mok stated, “Hong Kong values the cultivation of talents. In response to the pressure of talents in mainland China, how to elevate the quantity and quality of talents in Hong Kong is an urgent issue. Thus, the government in Hong Kong has put in a large amount of funds in higher education. According to the 2009 Top 200 World Universities Ranking done by Times Higher Education, University of Hong Kong is ranked the 24th, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is ranked the 35th, Chinese University of Hong Kong is ranked the 46th, City University of Hong Kong is ranked the 124th, and Hong Kong Polytechnic University is ranked the 195th.”
Prof. Ka-Ho Mok also mentioned, “The major advantage of universities in Hong Kong is that universities are governed by scholars and the distribution of talents is governed by universities. The government only provides policies and it does not involve in the planning of curricula. In other words, the characteristics of government in Hong Kong are governance without government, governance rather than management, and the emphasis on the ranking of international institutions. ”
Prof. Ka-Ho Mok is the Associate Vice-President of Hong Kong Institute of Education and Chair Professor of Comparative Policy. He had his undergraduate education in Hong Kong and he got his higher degrees from Chinese University of Hong Kong and London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London. He has served as Associate Dean of Faculty of Humanities and Social Science at City University of Hong Kong before going to Bristol University. He is also a founding editor of Journal of Asian Public Policy and Comparative Development and Policy in Asia Book Series.
To improve the system of higher education in Taiwan, elevate the quality of higher education and meet future international challenges, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) has organized the University Governance and Autonomy International Advisory Forums from October 4th to 5th in the classroom of Department of Political Science, Li-Hsing Campus, and International Conference Hall, Kuang-Fu Campus, NCKU, Tainan, Taiwan, hoping to find the most appropriate model for university development and provide revolutionary ideas for higher education and research team in Taiwan.
The University Governance and Autonomy International Advisory Forums was hosted by NCKU Prof. Yung-Nane Yang, the Chair of the Department of Political Science and Institute of Political Economy, and NCKU President Michael Ming-Chiao Lai, NCKU Senior Executive Vice-President Da-Hsuan Feng, and Associate Vice-President Ka-Ho Mok of Hong Kong Institute of Education have fully participated.
NCKU President Michael Ming-Chiao Lai expressed, “NCKU is one of the key institutions of “Aim for Top University Plan” which received funds from the Ministry of Education, Taiwan. In response to the expectations of society for NCKU, as the President of NCKU, I have the responsibilities to explore the subject of university governance and autonomy. During my three years of presidency, I have discovered issues of teaching, research, personnel, finance and accounting which are difficult to conquer and are in need of reform.”
President Lai pointed out, “The spirits of the University Governance and Autonomy International Advisory Forums are self-governance and accountability. In other words, the development direction of a university should be guided by the university and the university funding should be determined by the university. The inspection and audit of university funding should also be carried out by individual units. These are the basic principles of university governance and autonomy. I hope with the establishment of governance and autonomous system, the university competitiveness can be elevated to solve the internal and external issues we are currently facing.”
Prof. Ka-Ho Mok, the Associate Vice-President of Hong Kong Institute of Education, revealed in his speech entitled “Global Aspirations and Strategizing for World-Class Status: New Form of Higher Education Governance in Hong Kong”, “In the era of globalization, competition has become global as well. In higher education, countries worldwide are attaching increasing importance to international ranking exercises and subscribing to the ‘world-class universities’ paradigm, complemented by various strategies to benchmark with leading universities in order to enhance the global competitiveness of their universities. This is particularly so in Asia as it emerges as the center of fast-growing economies of the world.”
The speech of Prof. Ka Ho Mok reviews the major policies and strategies introduced and employed by the government and universities of Hong Kong in the quest for world-class status, examining the changing higher education governance in recruiting and retaining global talents and internationalizing their curricula in order to achieve their global aspirations, and it also explores the intra-institutional ‘politics’ within institutions involving tensions between teaching and research, and among different discipline areas.
Prof. Ka-Ho Mok stated in another speech entitled “When State Centralism Meets Neo-liberalism: Managing University Governance Change in Singapore and Malaysia”, “With strong intention to enhance the global competitiveness of their university systems, both the Singapore and Malaysia governments have introduced reforms along the lines of ideas and practices embedded in neo-liberalism. However, findings generated from campus visits and field interviews conducted in Singapore and Malaysia from 2007 to 2009 have proved that most of the front line academics have not experienced major differences in university governance after the reforms took place.”
Prof. Ka-Ho Mok further explained, “Many academics feel more pressure and control from the university administration and government ministries. Despite the fact that both the Singapore and Malaysia governments have tried to embrace the ideas and practices of ‘neo-liberalism’ to transform university governance, academics still see the state’s reluctance in withdrawing from steering or controlling higher education development. Such observations clearly reflect the ‘clash’ of two major governance philosophies, namely, ‘state centralism’ and ‘neo-liberalism.’”
Prof. Ka-Ho Mok stated, “Hong Kong values the cultivation of talents. In response to the pressure of talents in mainland China, how to elevate the quantity and quality of talents in Hong Kong is an urgent issue. Thus, the government in Hong Kong has put in a large amount of funds in higher education. According to the 2009 Top 200 World Universities Ranking done by Times Higher Education, University of Hong Kong is ranked the 24th, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is ranked the 35th, Chinese University of Hong Kong is ranked the 46th, City University of Hong Kong is ranked the 124th, and Hong Kong Polytechnic University is ranked the 195th.”
Prof. Ka-Ho Mok also mentioned, “The major advantage of universities in Hong Kong is that universities are governed by scholars and the distribution of talents is governed by universities. The government only provides policies and it does not involve in the planning of curricula. In other words, the characteristics of government in Hong Kong are governance without government, governance rather than management, and the emphasis on the ranking of international institutions. ”
Prof. Ka-Ho Mok is the Associate Vice-President of Hong Kong Institute of Education and Chair Professor of Comparative Policy. He had his undergraduate education in Hong Kong and he got his higher degrees from Chinese University of Hong Kong and London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London. He has served as Associate Dean of Faculty of Humanities and Social Science at City University of Hong Kong before going to Bristol University. He is also a founding editor of Journal of Asian Public Policy and Comparative Development and Policy in Asia Book Series.
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