Private Regional Universities as Alternatives to World Class Universities: Achievable Goals for Developing Nations

Abstract

A predominant discussion in Asian higher education is the identification and value of world class universities. The pressure to develop world class universities is coming from two sectors. First, the governments themselves see a world class university as a critical prerequisite to moving innovation into the economy and thereby moving the economy ahead and also as a source of status and prestige for the country. Second, parents who are keenly aware of the best universities in the world apply pressure to have equally prestigious universities in their native countries. Although world class universities move the frontiers of knowledge ahead, and clearly help their nation by providing a source of scientists and educated professionals via their graduate schools, many students, especially undergraduates, may be better served by regional universities with emphasis on pedagogy at the undergraduate level. The purpose of this article is to propose that regional private universities provide an alternative, not a replacement, to large research universities as a meaningful investment for both the regional economy and the student.