The Steinhardt Institute for Higher Education Policy at New York University, in collaboration with the Institute for Public Knowledge, will host a public forum on international university rankings on Thurs., Feb. 3 at 5 p.m. The forum will be held in Jurow Hall in the Silver Center, 100 Washington Square East.

Public Forum: International University Rankings, Thurs., Feb. 3

The Steinhardt Institute for Higher Education Policy at New York University, in collaboration with the Institute for Public Knowledge, will host a public forum on international university rankings on Thurs., Feb. 3 at 5 p.m. The forum will be held in Jurow Hall in the Silver Center, 100 Washington Square East. [Subways: N, R (Eighth Street); 6 (Astor Place)].

The forum will feature a presentation by Jürgen Enders, director, Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS) at University of Twente, the Netherlands, and responses by Craig Calhoun, University Professor of Social Science (NYU) and Robert H. Frank, Henrietta Johnson Louis Professor of Management (Cornell). 

The public must RSVP online or call 212.998.5860 to reserve a seat. Seating is limited.

Who wins and loses in the “Rankings Game?” This question is now one of the most important in global higher education. International rankings are having an increasing impact on higher education around the globe. National policy makers and institutional leaders feel the need to develop strategic plans to excel in the rankings game. More countries, including those in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, strive for membership of some of their universities in the stratum of the most elite universities currently dominated by the U.S. As countries devote significant resources to this highly expensive race for world-class status, nation-specific goals for access, equity, and quality teaching may suffer.

Enders will address the role of rankings in the global governance of higher education as well as the benefits and costs of the international academic arms race. He will propose policy directions and strategic actions to strengthen the multiple roles of universities in contemporary societies.

About the speakers
Jürgen Enders is the director of the Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS) and research professor of management and governance at the University of Twente, the Netherlands. His research focuses on national and international public policy, globalization and comparative higher education, and globalization and socio-economic development. He is a member of the German Academe of Science and a visiting professor at the School of Management, University of Bath, UK.

Craig Calhoun is University Professor of Social Science, New York University, where he also serves as founding director of the Institute for Public Knowledge. He has served as president of the Social Science Research Council since 1999. His most recent books include Nations Matter: Culture, History and the Cosmopolitan Dream (2007) and, edited with Diana Rhoten, currently in press, Knowledge Matters: The Public Mission of Research Universities.

Robert H. Frank is professor of economics and the Henrietta Johnson Louis Professor of Management, Cornell University. He co-directs NYU Stern School’s Paduano Seminar in Business Ethics. His most recent books include Falling Behind: How Income Inequality Harms the Middle Class (2007) and The Economic Naturalist (2007). His 1995 book, The-Winner-Take-All Society, co-authored with Philip Cook, won several awards. Frank’s column, “Economic View” appears monthly in the New York Times.

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