In Search of the Character of Twenty-first Century Higher Education

Abstract

Even if one does not subscribe to the viewpoint that there is a ‘crisis’ within higher education, it is undeniable that at present academia and higher education institutions in many nations are experiencing a difficult time, financially as well as intellectually, in respect to institutions’ standing and purpose in society. As universities have undergone significant evolution and change since first being established over 1000 years ago, this is not something entirely new. The writings of eminent scholars, thinkers and politicians document a long-standing discourse and conflicting views on what exactly is the purpose of universities and higher education. Broadly generalising, one can distinguish two extreme views at either end of a spectrum ranging from general self-fulfilment to vocational training. In other words, at one end are those (e.g. von Humboldt, ca 1793; Newman, 1854/1999) who define the purpose of the university as developing individuals’ critical minds and personalities (morals) to create citizens capable of serving their nation and humanity as whole and support the development of more inclusive, egalitarian and democratic societies (e.g. Dahrendorf, 1979). At the other end of the spectrum we find those who assign the university a service function to the state and the economy with a duty to teach and train the workforce providing skills development, and supporting technological advances. Theoretically, self-fulfilling pursuit of disinterested research and knowledge creation, and economic value must not be necessarily mutually exclusive. And so, modern views imply that universities can, have and should fulfil a variety of functions; they should be “multiversities” as George Fallis former dean of York University (Toronto, Canada) recently stated and the Dearing report (NCIHE, 1997) implicitly suggests.