Academia as a league system

In this paper, we explain the stability of top university ranks and discuss attempts to create top national universities. Firstly, it is shown theoretically that in a world with differently-gifted poor and rich students, a three-tier university system may become very stable, with a super league of the best research universities that attract the best students, whether rich or poor. Secondly, it is empirically demonstrated that half of the highest ranked universities enjoy very stable competitive advantages. Thirdly, we examine attempts of China, France and Germany to overcome these disadvantages and to get into this super league. The recent attempt of China to create such super league universities shows the financial and societal costs of these attempts. France demonstrates how the concentration of financial resources on two newly built universities that complement the forces of existing ones—either real or only by labelling—may succeed. Despite the complexly designed and competitive German Excellence Initiative, ongoing since 2004, no German university was among the top 50 in the Shanghai ranking in 2021 (compared to one university in 2004). The mixed results of all these worldwide attempts may reflect the problem that late market entry into the super league may be too costly, given that the classical university business model is in the mature phase of its life cycle.

Elitegyetemek, elitegyetemek mindenhol!avagy mi az Egyesült Államok felsőoktatásának titka? : W. Bentley MacLeod -Miguel Urquiola: Why Does the United States Have the Beast Research Universities? Incentives, Resources, and Virtuous Circles (Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 35, No. 1. 185-206, 2021)

A következőkben a Journal of Economic Perspectives hasábjain 2021-ben publikált tanulmány leglényegesebb megállapításait igyekszem kiemelni és ismertetni. A szerzőpáros kutatásának kérdése az volt, hogy feltárják, vajon mi vezetett ahhoz, hogy míg az Amerika Egyesült Államokban a XIX. század végén még egyetlen egyetem sem tartozott a világ legjobbjai közé, addig ma a 100 legjobb egyetem közel fele ebben az országban található.

Public communication at research universities: Moving towards (de)centralised communication of science?

This research note reports empirical observations on public communication of research institutes within universities, using data from an international quantitative study in eight countries ( N = 2030). The note aims to contribute to discussions on the role of science communication at research universities. We observe growing science communication at the institute level, which indicates, at a first glance, a trend towards decentralised communication of science. We argue that these might be places where science communication and public engagement can thrive. Rather than claiming to be conclusive, our goal here is to stimulate discussion on the ongoing changes in the organisational science communication landscape, and the consequences it may have for practice.

Participation, academic influences and interactions: A comparison of Chinese and U.S. research universities on ResearchGate

ResearchGate (RG) is an academic social networking (ASN) site that is used worldwide for scholarly communication. This study examines RG users from 21 top Chinese research universities and 61 U.S. research universities from three research activity levels to identify the differences in participation, interactions, and academic influences between their affiliated institutions on this ASN platform. The implications on scholarly communication and evaluation using altmetrics across nations are discussed.

Book review: Pankaj Jalote (Ed.), Building Research Universities in India

Pankaj Jalote (Ed.), Building Research Universities in India (SAGE Studies in Higher Education). SAGE Publications, 2021, 415 pp., ₹1495, ISBN: 9789353885021 (Hardback).

Application of Artificial Intelligence Techniques in Operating Mode of Professors’ Academic Governance in American Research Universities

Artificial intelligence technology is an important transformative force for teaching innovation in the intelligent era. It is being widely used in American school teaching, including the design of intelligent tutoring systems to achieve precise problem solving, the machine learning technology to ensure personalized activity design, the creation of intelligent virtual reality to promote classroom teaching contextualization, and the development of intelligent evaluation systems to ensure the scientific evaluation of capabilities. In the process of advancing the teaching and application of artificial intelligence technology, the United States has built a linkage mechanism of federal leadership, university follow-up, and social collaboration and implemented the smart technology in school teaching and professors’ academic governance. This paper is aimed at studying the professors’ academic governance of American research universities by Internet data mining, historical analysis method, documentary method, survey method, and other methods. Professors’ academic governance is a vital part of the modern university system that causes the institutional reform of the internal governance structure of modern universities. The United States is a powerful country in higher education, and professors in American research universities have always participated in university academic governance for centuries. By studying the definition, history, and development and mode of operation of professors’ academic governance in American research universities, the results indicate a clear division of power and responsibility between the professors and administrators based on an artificial intelligence decision system in American research universities. Also, there is a good communication platform based on artificial intelligence environment for professors to discuss their opinions on academic affairs. Third, professors exercise academic power under the guarantee of diversified guaranteed systems based on the artificial intelligence evaluation system and the ideology of mutual respect based on the artificial intelligence management and service system. Studying the application of artificial intelligence techniques in operating mode and enlightenment of professors’ academic governance in an American research university is of great significance to promote the construction of other modern universities’ professors’ academic governance system.

Psychosocial safety climate, work engagement and organizational commitment in Malaysian research universities: the mediating role of job resources

Purpose The current study is an examination of the effects of psychosocial safety climate on work engagement, organisational commitment and to mediate job resources in Malaysian research universities (RUs) during pandemic. Design/methodology/approach The population of this study consisted of full-time lecturers who work in Malaysian RUs at least a year. A sampling technique was used to select the respondents for this study. A total of 1,000 questionnaires were administered to respondents from 5 Malaysian RUs with 484 usable questionnaires were returned, giving a response rate of 48.4%. Findings The present study’s objective is to examine psychosocial safety climate’s (PSC) effect, job resources on work engagement and organizational commitment. The study also aims to test the mediating roles of job resources on PSC’s relationship, work engagement and organizational commitment. It is interesting to note that the relationship between PSC and work engagement was not significant. Research limitations/implications Although the present study had contributed to the existing literature, the present study’s result cannot be generalized. Suggestions for future research include an attempt to conduct a study over three-time points that looks at both the employee’s perspective, managerial perspective and organizational perspective within the workplace. All correlation and cross-sectional studies identified the need for a comprehensive three-wave study to examine the model’s longitudinal effects accurately. Practical implications The finding shown that university is suggested to apply higher PSC to allow their management discover more ways to increase the adequate job resources to support lecturers in RUs and in improving their work engagement and organizational commitment. Originality/value The integration of PSC in academicians of Malaysian RUs provides a novel perspective.