The universities around the world have multi-dimensional roles and responsibilities to take upon. It’s not just the educational part that universities play in the economy of any country. There are other aspects that are to be accounted for by such global universities.
These great universities are synonymous with the excellence in which they shine under. They attract the top talent which come to study and teach here. The expert scholars and researchers walk the boundaries of top world universities and it results in increased reputation and prestige for the universities. But are universities doing enough for the backward communities or anything else that benefit the greater-good motto?
The university culture can foster an environment and feelings of community-belongingness shaping the minds of graduates and post-graduates for an equal, just, and sustainable society. Many of the best universities grapple with the accountability gap they are supposed to fulfil for the betterment of the society.
The students are in the best time to be molded according to what we want to indoctrinate them with. The future scientists, scholars, politicians, doctors, engineers, policy-makers- are all part of the universities attendees. The top world universities must consider it their mission to resolve the grand problems the 21st-century present. The actions of tomorrow must be the results of balanced viewpoints and ‘a present’ which can carry forward ‘the future’ easily without debilitating climatic conditions and causing political turmoil which the present world is subjected to.
The environment has to be protected and the natives must be supported for an inclusive world. In spite of every law and policy in place, top world universities consider such social responsibilities as the charitable work without any strategic planning in place. That will eventually fail all the prospects of any social project.
In a huge rush to reach there (At the top) first, universities from developing countries are burning the midnight oil. They are competing against the developed countries which have all the resources to make successful the numero uno position. But not every country was made equal and in their semblance of ‘best universities’, endeavors to serve the country of origin must be the order of the day.
It’s true that the major grants for top world universities come from private donors but playing to the whims and fancies of only powerful people will defeat their raison d’etre. The scientific and strategic viewpoints have to be kept in the eyesight, of course, but these universities have to be the voice of the powerless and the downtrodden. These communities don’t have the wherewithal to coax the university authorities to do their bidding.
The world-class universities have the influence to make a change in the lives of the unrepresented class of people. The regeneration projects cause eviction of aboriginals and through their outreach work, universities can benefit the excluded communities. The activities like working-with-community and public service must be inculcated as part and parcel of missions of teaching, pedagogy, curriculum designing, and research.
