Responding to the challenges of the contemporary university

James Arvanitakis

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This paper reflects on a fundamental question: 'why do universities exist?' Given the many private education service providers who boast excellent facilities, and the declining availability of public resources, what is the role of the contemporary university? Combined with ongoing scepticism about the value of research, the university is engulfed by a sense of anxiety that has resulted in many institutions withdrawing from controversial debates. Such removals from engagement resulted in accusations that these institutions are 'ivory towers' disconnected from reality. In this paper I argue that despite such pressures, the role of the university has never been more important. Focussing on both the concept that education is best understood as a 'commons' as well as the need to 'engage' with the various communities we interact with, the modern university should be promoting a sense of agency and leadership with both our students and well beyond. This should be the foundation on which university programs should be built. It is what separates us from other service providers and makes universities such valuable institutions.
Original languageEnglish
Article number250
Pages (from-to)110-121
Number of pages12
JournalDefaire/refaire l'universite Essai de Tout Dire
Publication statusPublished - 2015

Keywords

  • universities
  • education, higher
  • research

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Responding to the challenges of the contemporary university'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this