Higher education is perpetually in crisis, buffeted by increasing costs and a perceived lack of return on investment, campus culture that is criticized for stifling debate on controversial topics, and a growing sense that the liberal arts are outmoded and irrelevant. Some observers even put higher education on the brink of death. The New Global Universities offers a counterargument, telling the story of educational leaders who have chosen not to give up on higher education but to reimagine it. The book chronicles the development and launch of eight innovative colleges and universities in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and North America, describing the combination of intellectual courage, entrepreneurial audacity, and adaptive leadership needed to invent educational institutions today.
The authors, both academic leaders who have been involved in launching ventures similar to the ones described, offer a unique inside perspective on these efforts. Bryan Penprase and Noah Pickus show how the founders of new colleges and universities establish distinctive brands in a sector dominated by centuries-old institutions, secure creative sources of funding, attract stellar faculty and students, and design appealing curriculums and campuses—all while managing tradeoffs and setbacks, balancing local needs and global aspirations, and wrestling with challenges to academic freedom. These new educational institutions include two universities in Asia and the Middle East built by well-established American parent institutions, others in Africa and North America that offer holistic reform from the ground up and leverage new technologies to lower costs, and still others that adapted the American liberal arts model to Asian and African contexts. Their experiences offer lessons for future founders of new universities—and for those who want to renew and rejuvenate existing ones.
"Penprase and Pickus lead us through a cutting-edge exploration of new, innovative global universities, and one that recenters the powerful teaching-learning approach of liberal education as a transformative experience for individuals, but also the regions and nations in which they serve and contribute."—James H. McDonald, New York Journal of Books
“Penprase and Pickus have done something that is almost impossible to do. They went searching for gold in what was thought to be land that was strip-mined, and somehow found buried treasure. The New Global Universities is important and accessible. It tells spellbinding stories about the future of education that need to be told.”—Michael Sorrell, President of Paul Quinn College
“Offering a bracing and inspiring counternarrative to the prevailing gloom about the future of higher education, The New Global Universities profiles eight remarkable start-ups, new institutions bringing fresh ideas and entrepreneurial energy to the critical task of educating twenty-first century leaders and citizens. An important new contribution to the history of liberal education, abounding in valuable insights for educational innovators everywhere.”—Elizabeth Kiss, Warden of Rhodes House and CEO of the Rhodes Trust, University of Oxford
“This is a stimulating, informative, and intellectually wide-ranging exploration of the world of new, or ‘start-up’ colleges and universities the world over. The book provides a powerful overview of the growth of the liberal arts and sciences around the world—no handwringing here about the ‘crisis of the humanities.’ It will appeal to a wide audience of educators and educational entrepreneurs—indeed to anyone interested in the alternative futures of higher education. It should be of particular interest to American educators, who seldom today look beyond the borders of the United States for ideas or inspiration.”—William Kirby, Professor of China Studies and Business Administration, Harvard University
“In The New Global Universities, Penprase and Pickus counter the prevailing pessimism about higher education with well-researched and freshly written case studies of entrepreneurial growth and mission-driven innovation. Optimists with a healthy caution born of their own leadership experiences, the authors provide a nuanced narrative that punctures founding myths and offers valuable lessons. This essential book will give ideas and inspiration to academic change makers for many years to come.”—Matthew Rascoff, Vice Provost for Digital Education, Stanford University
“This novel and timely study of the start-up process for a group of innovative colleges and universities with global ambitions should be of interest to anyone concerned about the future of higher education. It combines thoughtful scholarship with personal experience, theory with fascinating narratives.”—David Oxtoby, President of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
“These stories of inspirational founders who sought to bring innovative, quality education to new fields and geographies are a must read for those who believe in the transformative potential of higher education. The authors should be commended for presenting a balanced picture illustrating the missteps along with the triumphs and for honestly acknowledging unsettled debates.”—Madan Pillutla, Dean of the Indian School of Business
“If the goal of a start-up university is to become a high-quality institution, then the main goal of an incumbent university is to actually become a start-up, or, in other words, to reinvent itself. This book is an indispensable guide not only for new universities but also for older, leading academic institutions.”—Ivan Bofarull, Chief Innovation Officer, ESADE Business School, and author of Moonshot Thinking
“Bryan Penprase and Noah Pickus provide a compelling comparative study of a diverse set of new global universities founded in the past twenty years. We meet innovative founders with high ideals and learn about their arduous journeys to create excellent, enduring institutions. The book offers powerful insights for educators, thought leaders, and entrepreneurs of every type.”—Daniel R. Porterfield, president and CEO of the Aspen Institute and former president of Franklin & Marshall College
“In a world revolutionized by technology and transnational interdependence, start-up universities are trying out new ways to nurture students’ capacities for creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. This captivating and readable book analyzes eight very different examples of such schools with sensitivity and intellectual rigor.”—Jeffrey S. Lehman, Vice Chancellor of NYU Shanghai
“The New Global Universities offers comparative perspectives on the reinvention of education in the twenty-first century. It highlights the uniqueness of liberal arts universities across different regions, demonstrating how higher education institutions transform to address special educational visions and missions. The book is highly relevant to anyone thinking deeply about and acting in support of the future of higher education.”—Ka Ho Mok, Vice President and Chair Professor at Lingnan University, Hong Kong
“Grounding their work in thorough research, Penprase and Pickus provide not only a compelling story of pioneering organizations and leadership, but a critical analysis of essential issues in higher education. Their ability to wrestle with neocolonialism, liberal education in illiberal societies, and perpetuating inequity is courageous. In addition to developing a rich historical record for these innovative ventures, this work ignites exactly the right question: what can traditional, long-standing institutions learn from the new global universities?”—Kara A. Godwin, Consultant and former Director of Internationalization at the American Council on Education
