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No borders

发布时间：2023-01-28 23:38:54 来源：文档文库

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Noborders,onlyfrontiers16thSeptember2010HarvardpresidentDrewGilpinFausthymnstherestlessquestforwisdomthatdefineshighereducation'shighestgoalsPrevailingdiscourseemphasisestheuniversityasaparamountplayerinaglobalsystemincreasinglydrivenbyknowledge,informationandideas.Knowledgeisreplacingotherresourcesasthemainengineofeconomicgrowth,andasthenewknowledgeeconomyisnecessarilyglobal,thereachofuniversitiesmustbeso,too.Throughouthighereducation,borderlesspartnershipsareflourishingasneverbefore,improvinglearningandlivesindramaticways.Often,universities'internationalinitiativesareframedasacompetitivenecessity.Butifthesearecompetitions,theyareonesinwhicheveryonecanwin.Asotherinstitutionsfalterindispiritingsuccession,universitiesnurturethehopesoftheworld:insolvingchallengesthatcrossborders;inunlockingnewknowledge;inbuildingculturalandpoliticalunderstanding;andinmodellingenvironmentsthatpromotedialogueanddebate.Yetevenaswemarvelathighereducation'sglobalexpansion,weseeitsfutureimperilled.Wefindthattheglobaleconomiccrisishasslowedourcross-bordermomentum.Astheworldoscillatesbetweenopennessandinsularity,manyworrythatweareenteringamoreinward-lookingperiod,whennationalanxietiesrisktrumpinginternationalaspirations.Intheyearsfollowingthe9/11terrorattacks,securityconcernshaveinhibitedeaseofmovementformany.Andinthewakeoftheglobalrecession,fearsofeconomiccompetitionhaveintensifiedresistancetoimmigration.Talentcomeswithmanydifferentpassports.Yet,asweatuniversitiesworktoattractthemostpromisingandcreativeminds,wefacethespectreofheightenedimpedimentstobordercrossings,atamomentwhenhighereducationincreasinglyrequiresthefreeflowoftalentandideas.Theglobalrecessionhasofcourseproducedanevenmoredirectthreat—afinancialone.Whiletheknowledgeeconomydrawsfuelfromtheunprecedentedgrowthofhighereducation,manyuniversitybudgetsfaceseriouscutbacks,evenasenrolmentsandexpectationsrise.PerhapsthemostdramaticUSexampleinvolvestheUniversityofCaliforniasystem,thegoldstandardofAmericanpublichighereducation,whichwasconfrontedwitha20percentbudgetcutthispastfiscalyear.HighereducationintheUKandIrelandfacessimilarchallenges.Wearecaughtintheparadoxofcelebratingtheglobalknowledgeeconomywhilesimultaneouslyunderminingitsveryfoundations.Atsuchatime,thereisadangerthatthefocusonhighereducationasthefundamentalengineofeconomicgrowthisprovingsopowerfulthatitwilldistortourunderstandingofallthatuniversitiesshouldandmustbe.Suchassumptionscan,forexample,encouragea
devaluationofbasicscientificresearch,ofinvestigationthatmaynotyieldimmediatepayoffsorsolveconcreteproblems.Theintenselycompetitiveglobaleconomyhasdrivengovernmentstodemandmoreimmediate,tangiblereturnsontheirinvestments.Toooften,suchanemphasiscanmeanespeciallypainfulcutsfordisciplineswhosevalue,thoughhardertomeasure,isnolessreal.Asstewardsofcenturies-oldtraditionsofhigherlearning,wemustworktoensurethattheunderstandableefforttopromotewhatisvaluabledoesnoteclipseoursupportforwhatisinvaluable.Whenwedefinehighereducation'sroleprincipallyasdrivingeconomicdevelopmentandsolvingsociety'smosturgentproblems,werisklosingsightofthekindsofenquirythatenablethecriticalstance,thatbuildthehumaneperspective,thatfostertherestlessscepticismandunboundedcuriosityfromwhichourprofoundestunderstandingssooftenemerge.Toonarrowafocusonthepresentcancomeattheexpenseofthepastandfuture,ofthelongviewthathasalwaysbeenhigherlearning'sspecialconcern.Howcanwecreatemindscapableofinnovationiftheyareunabletoimagineaworlddifferentfromtheoneinwhichwelivenow?Historyteachescontingency;itdemonstratesthattheworldhasbeendifferentandcouldandwillbedifferentagain.Anthropologycanshowthatsocietiesareandhavebeendifferentelsewhere,acrossspaceaswellastime.Literaturecanteachusmanythings,includingempathy—howtopictureourselvesinsideanotherperson'shead,life,experience—andhowtoseetheworldthroughadifferentlens,whichthestudyoftheartsoffersaswell.Economicgrowthandscientificandtechnologicaladvancesarenecessarybutnotsufficientpurposesforauniversity.Andwithinthedomainofscience,universitieshaveadistinctiveobligationtofulfilthedeephumandesiretounderstandourselvesandtheworldweinhabit—evenwhenthereisnopracticalapplicationcloseinview.Itisworthrememberingthatthemosttransformativescientificdiscoveriesoftentracetheiroriginstoresearchbornofsheercuriosityaboutwhoweareandhowwecanfathomthemostintriguingmysteriesofthenaturalworld.

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