Universities and the post-2015 development agenda: an analytical framework

Abstract

Higher education is increasingly acknowledged by national governments and international agencies as a key driver of development, and systems are expanding rapidly in response to rising demand. Moreover, universities have been attributed a central role in the post-2015 development agenda and the achievement of the sustainable development goals. Yet questions of institutional models and their differential impact on society have not received sufficient attention. This paper presents an analysis of the 'anatomy' of the university in order to identify the salient changes in the institution across time and location in relation to knowledge and relationships with society. A framework is proposed structured around three key dimensions: first, 'value'-the extent to which knowledge is treated as intrinsically or instrumentally worthwhile; second, 'function'-the role of the university in terms of storage, transmission, production or application of knowledge; third, 'interaction'-the flow of ideas and actors between the university and society. This analytical framework is then utilised to assess two dominant tendencies in global higher education: commodification and unbundling. Finally, implications are drawn out for universities' potential impact on development in lowand middle-income countries in the context of these contemporary trends.

Os perigos do conceito de impacto no ensino superior (The dangers of the concept of impact in higher education)

“…Pode-se considerar que o ensino superior tem um valor intrínseco ou instrumental -dependendo se a aprendizagem é considerada valiosa em si mesma ou, em alternativa, apelando para justificativas externas (ou seja, se temos uma compreensão maior de nós mesmos e do mundo ao nosso redor, de constituir bemestar e uma vida próspera, ou apenas o faz na medida em que atua como um canal para aumentar a renda, etc.). As universidades ao longo da história variaram na ênfase colocada nos benefícios intrínsecos ou instrumentais, mas, de um modo geral, ambas as formas de valor coexistem e não são mutuamente exclusivas (MCCOWAN, 2016b). A ênfase no impacto prioriza claramente os benefícios instrumentais do ensino superior.…”

“…As severas restrições aos fundos públicos nesses países -combinadas com a captura histórica dos benefícios do ensino superior pelas elites -levaram a uma crescente preocupação com a contribuição da instituição para a sociedade. Esse papel foi reconhecido nos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (Sustainable Development Goals) recentemente acordados, nos quais as universidades são vistas como centrais para a tarefa de promover sociedades prósperas, equitativas e de proteção ao meioambiente (MCCOWAN, 2016b).…”

Five perils of the impact agenda in higher education

“…whether having a greater understanding of ourselves and the world around us in itself constitutes well-being and a flourishing life, or whether it does so only in so far as it acts as a conduit for increasing income, etc.). Universities through history have varied in the emphasis placed on the intrinsic or instrumental benefits, but generally speaking both forms of value coexist, and are not mutually exclusive (McCowan, 2016b). Emphasis on impact clearly prioritizes the instrumental benefits of higher education.…”

“…The severe constraints on public funds in these countries -combined with the historical capture of the benefits of higher education by the elites -have led to increasing concern regarding the contribution of the institution to society. This role has been acknowledged in the recently agreed Sustainable Development Goals, in which universities are seen as central to the task of promoting prosperous and equitable societies and protecting the natural environment (McCowan, 2016b).…”

Conceptions of the value of higher education in a measured market

“…This extends to subquestions concerning how value is measured and appraised, to what end and in what form. Moreover, the relationship between purely intrinsic means-focused value foci and instrumental end-focussed ones becomes increasingly blurred as the functional remit of HEIs expands (McCowan 2016). In a shifting institutional context, characterised increasingly by commodification, value can also take on a discernibly ambivalent character with multifarious ends (Weiler 2005).…”