Snapped branches
Warwick’s decision not to set up a branch campus has become final. Today the Warwick website announced that on the 18th of October the council voted against the Singapore plans. Their press release...
View ArticleMore branches
Unlike the University of Warwick, the University of New South Wales will continue to develop its branch campus in Singapore. The University of Warwick decided not to establish a branch campus because...
View ArticleWhat’s the right atmosphere?
The International Herald Tribune yesterday reported about China’s investments in their universities. China is focusing on science and technology, areas that reflect the country’s development needs, but...
View ArticleLanguages of the Internet
Yesterday, UNESCO published a report on languages and the Internet (Click here for a PDF version for the whole report). The report is primarily on measurement and methodology, but also shows some...
View ArticleAnyone but the King
Thailand is one of the countries in Southeast Asia that has shown rapid development. Economically it has done very well. It recovered relatively easily from the financial crisis in 1997 and is showing...
View ArticleGlobalisation: 99 Definitions & Perspectives
While I was looking for a file in my computer I stumbled upon an old document. It’s a file with a list of different perspectives and definitions of globalisation that I assembled for my doctoral...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pak Pram’s new book
The IHT has an article on one of the greatest writers of our time: Pramoedya Ananta Toer. Toer (a.k.a. Pak Pram) is probably best known for his Buru Quartet, named after the island Buru where he was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
All in 1 week
In the past week, three remarkable men have passed away. The best writer of all times, one of the most innovative artists of all times and one of the most influential economists of all times. Pramoedya...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The End of the University
On 8 January, at the 375th birthday (Dies Natalis) of the University of Amsterdam, University Professor Louise Fresco gave the annual anniversary speech (Dies rede) to the university community....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Culture & Competitiveness
Cultural orientation toward the future differs between countries and strongly correlates with the level of competitiveness of the country. That was one of the findings of Mansour Javidan and his...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Things have changed
Not many blog posts these days…and that won’t change too much in the next few weeks. I’m working hard to finish two papers for two conferences next month in Austria and Ireland. Before the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Brussels Sprouts and Meatballs…
While the rest of the world is concerned with petty issues like the quality of education, access to education, excellence in education, etc, some enlightened patriots with a judaeo-christian heritage...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Earth From Above
While walking through Darling Harbour yesterday – visiting the Fiesta Festival – I had a look at the Earth From Above exhibition by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. Some of you might have already seen it since...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Athletics on Campus or Classes in the Arena?
As a European, my view on the relation between the university and sports is very straightforward. There’s a health related function and a social function: the university provides facilities for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
English as a Lingua Franca
I ran into some interesting papers and essays on the issue of English as the lingua franca of contemporary higher education and science. They raise serious questions about the preservation of...
View Article