Bristol/WUN GHEAR Conference

Globalising Geographies of Higher

Education and Research
Wednesday 1 – Friday 3 February 2012
The Great Hall, Wills Memorial Building
University of Bristol
 Welcome
• Eric Thomas, Vice-Chancellor of the
University of Bristol and the President of
Universities UK

• Wendy Larner, Research Director, Faculty

of Social Sciences and Law, University of
Bristol
 Where are we now?
• Most universities have well developed
internationalisation strategies
• Active membership of international consortium
(WUN, Universitas 21, APRU, LERU...)
• Privilege international activities in reward
structures
• Encourage PhD and early career researchers to
build international networks
 The Institutional Challenges
• Often surprisingly difficult to deliver on so-called
‘Global Challenges’
• Variable research models across disciplinary
fields and national cultures
• Sometimes difficult to get past extravagant
claims and skilful publicity
• ‘Herding Cats’
 The Political Challenges
• Are we entrenching international research
hierarchies?
• Are the new globalising research geographies
underpinned by resourcing worries?
• Are universities competing with multi-national
corporations, consultants and think-tanks?
• Is the globalisation of higher education itself
becoming a globalising phenomenon?
 Globalising Geographies
• Reject the ‘bulldozer model’ of inexorable
processes ‘out there’ that do things to us ‘in
here’.
• ‘Globalising’ rather than ‘globalisation’
• Important studies of bio-technology, professional
services and architecture amongst others
• Don’t know much about the globalising
knowledge networks of academic research itself
 The Issues
• What are the views of the academics
themselves? (Workshop A)
• How do we build infrastructure to better support
globalising intellectual and institutional
ambitions? (Workshop B)
• What are the implications for learning and
pedagogy? (Workshop C)
• How is the wider institutional terrain shifting?
(Workshop D)
 The Format
• Each session will open with four ‘provocations’
• The ‘rapporteur’ will identify cross-cutting issues
and key themes
• Roundtable discussions to tease out ideas and
concrete proposals
• Open discussion to present these ideas and
proposals to the group as a whole
 Housekeeping
• Mutual respect
• ‘Chatham House’ rules
• All filming, tweeting and subsequent reports will
report only what is said, not who said it.
• Relax, eat and enjoy!
Workshop A: Globalising Academics
What are the views of the academics themselves?

Chair: Wendy Larner

Provocateurs: Matt Sparke
Sue Parnell
Paul Valdes
Richard Le Heron/Nick
Lewis
Rapporteur: Nan Yeld
Workshop B: Globalising Infrastructure
How do we build infrastructure to better support
globalising intellectual and institutional ambitions?

Chair: David Langley

Provocateurs: Rowan Douglas
John Kirkland
Glenn Swafford
Frans Swanepoel
Rapporteur: John Rogers
 Workshop C: Globalising Learning

What are the implications for learning and

pedagogy?
Chair: Ian Wei
Provocateurs: Hugh Lauder
Simon Marginson
Susan Robertson
Amy Stambach
Rapporteur: Ka Ho Mok
Workshop D: Globalising Institutions

How is the wider institutional terrain shifting?

Chair: Guy Orpen

Provocateurs: Martin Bean
Peter Gist
Joanna Newman
Rapporteur: Nigel Thrift