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ผอ. พรทิพย์มาร่วมประชุม AAR เมื่อวันที่ ๒๐ ก.ค. พร้อมเอกสารที่ท่านสื่อใน e-mail link รวม ๔ ตอน ดังนี้
๗ ก.ค. ๕๒
Dear All, You can tell from the subject that there're lots to share from this conference ka!
I attended the first World Conference on Higher Education (WCHE) in 1998 when I was still working at Tabuang. This is why I took my annual leave to attend this second one to see what has been changed ka. I was invited as an NGO/IGO partner of Unesco ka.
There are quite a few Thai delegates, led by Ajarn Mor+ Vicharn. Others included Sec-Gen Sumate, former Sec-Gen Krisnapong, Deputy Sec-Gen Chantavit, Ajarn Mor+ Sutat from Mahidol, Ajarn Wanchai (working with sor gor or on 'research universities), Ajarn Supachai (SEAMEO-RIHED), Ajarn Nantana (ASEAN University Network), Ajarn Korb (Engineering Chula), Ajarn Pornchai (President of Siam University), Ajarn Ninnart (ASAIHL), and Khun Nuanwan from sor+ yor tor (Bureau of International Cooperation Strategy) ka.
Quite a few points raised at the opening sounded so familiar to me and then I realized that I read them from a draft 'Communique', which will be the final product of the World Conference. I'll share with you when the draft is finalized Wednesday afternoon na ka.
Mrs. Jill Biden, wife of VP Joe Biden, focused her talk on the valuable contribution of community colleges, which are a critical part of the American higher education system. Well! Over 30% of American students enter this type of colleges....for me, I think it confirms to us that 'universities aren't the only 'start and finish line' for all na ka. However, American community colleges have been through their ups and downs for decades before the public accepted and recognized their significance. Ours will be a long way to go too.
China's announced its intention to help Africa and cooperated in the exchange of students and teachers, while one afternoon was devoted to a roundtable for Africa, something I found strange.
Dr. Chantavit said it started about 2 years ago when a few countries discussed investing in African education. China's become a 'pi yai' from Asia in that far continent and a few other 'pi yai' from other continents are also in this 'game' lae ka!
Being a person who was in the history of the first WCHE, Ajarn Mor+ Vicharn asked me if there was anything new. I didn't think there was much but I found that more emphasis was placed on the role of universities to encourage creativity and to serve their societal and national development. This point struck me personally which could be because I feel universities must be reminded of their contributive existence, not to make money without much to offer from updated knowledge to research and innovation that could ignite progress locally and beyond.
Emphases were also made on cross-border education (with crucial issues occurred from mobility to quality), social responsibility, and increased role of the private sector/ industry. This time, aging society is raised as well!
Let me stop here to start a new one soon ka.
Regards to all ka.
Porntip
๘ ก.ค. ๕๒
My second note about WCHE ka!
In every region of the world, there were regional conferences to pave a way for this World Conference. Each representative gave a good summary except India (only discussed issues and actions in the country ka!).
I have tried to compare the similarities and differences across the regions and found that the common issues were on diversification of and wider access to higher education. A stronger role of multi-stakeholders in higher education was seen while regional and inter-regional cooperation was much more needed than before.
In Asia and the Pacific, quality learning outcomes were giving much more importance, moving away from previously emphasizing on input, process and output (this is what I think could be a great development in our region when in Europe and the US, they have been talking about outcomes for years laew nee ka!)
The societal vs economic-oriented role of higher education, the accommodation of local vs global needs, and a few world class universities vs sustainable development of the whole were issues that would need discussions to fit into our own contexts too ka.
My favorite speaker, Philip Altbach, gave a presentation about the Trends in Global Higher Education: Tracking an Academic Revolution. I could only read the executive summary of the book and would include some here ka (the book is 246 page long nae ka!)
The massification of higher education posed challenges in many ways from greater social mobility to new patterns of funding higher education, diversified systems to an overall lowering of academic standards. The competition for status and ranking could contribute to a decline in a sense of academic community, mission and traditional values.
The global context with English as a dominant language has impacted the scientific communication and research platforms as well as international rankings. Internationalization has been very prominent at regional and international levels.
He pointed out that access should mean more than just getting through the door; as true progress depends on levels of completion of all population groups, simply put it is the link between access and success ka! Quality is risen to the top of the policy agenda. The access and the true quality of access bring more awareness to our higher education provision na ka.
He said the globalization, regional integration and the mobility of students (more than 2.5 million studying outside their home countries and could rise to 7 million by 2020) and scholars have made the need for internationally recognized standards among and between nations more urgent while mechanisms for establishing international comparability are still new and largely untested.
The academic profession is under stress due to the massification of higher education, causing the decline of the average qualifications of academics. There are policies to lure scholars and researcher from abroad and in research, it also requires huge funding to sustain. More challenges are seen in relation to intellectual property, creating a few questions like who owns the knowledge, how to commercialize it, and whether it be treated as a public good.
His summary ended pointing out that the role of higher education as a public good continues to be fundamentally important and must be supported. Our universities sure have expanded role in our complex world. The multiple and diverse responsibilities are ultimately key to the well-being of modern society.
Feel the heavy burdens on the shoulders of our universities mai ka?
Going to the third message soon ka.
Porntip
