International conference on universities' quality development
Feedback from participants and stakeholders
The 1st UNIQUAL Conference at NTNU, organised by PLU and the Section of Higher Education Studies, has affected a number of useful feedback comments. Over and above it seems that an audience comprised of both typical academics ("ivory professors") and "entrepreneurial" administrators found the presentations and discussions of significant value.
An overall strategic ambition of UNIQUAL was to overcome the traditional schisma of "Quality as purpose of" (ivory professors) and "Quality as purpose for" (the business-oriented university administrators). As organisers we are pleased to have got comments indicating that both camps are quite pleased with the chosen key not speakers and presenters. However, listening more sophistically to the comments we might hear that some of the administrators had found the conference a bit "too academic", while the opposite camp had found it too open to the market. Such opinions were expected, since people obviously make comment from their actual cognitive frame of references, values and subjective interests.
In terms of content the ambition of UNIQUAL was to clarify how functional relations between the changed frame factors of universities - that is the macro level context, the instittional level (management and organisation development) and the micro level (production of learning and knowledge) are affected by today's globalisation processes in general, and in particular - by the global knowledge economy. This line of reasoning is often overlooked by university people.
Future Conference Plans
In order to keep momentum in this learning process for scholars and administrators about universities' challenges under globalisation, NTNU's Section of Higher Education Studies at PLU has decided to attempt establishing UNIQUAL as an annual event, an annual international meeting place for scholars and university administrators. However, the resources required extend what PLU presently can afford. Hence, possibilities for finding a partner institution in another country who could be co-organisser is explored. The idea being that the conference is organised every second year in Trondheim and every second year at the other institution/country. One of the countries where opportunities are now explored is China.
Practical UNIQUAL Follow Ups
During the UNIQUAL Conference several presentations based on written academic papers were made, and there is obviously a need to make them available for a larger audience. Hence, plans are made for two types of publishing: Firstly, there will be a Conference Report where all texts are collected and distributed to all conference participants. Secondly, a careful selection will be made of papers deserving to be published as an anthology in the series of scientific reports at PLU/NTNU.
All presenters will have the opportunity of submitting revised versions of their papers, and to indicate whether they would like to have their paper reviewed for eventual inclusion in the research report.
For the Conference Report deadline for corrected papers is: 31.12.03 - All papers will be available on this website under the link Papers in the top menu.
For the UNIQUAL Research Report deadline for submitting corrected papers is: 31.12.03 - Then follows the review and editing process. Hence, it is not likely to expect the Report published until mid-Spring Term 2004.
For more information about the Future Conference plans as well as the practical Follow ups, please contact Section Co-ordinator Gunnar Engvik (gunnar.engvik@plu.ntnu.no, Research fellow Fangrong Zhou (fangrong.zhou@plu.ntnu.no) or Professor Arild Tjeldvoll (arildtj@xmu.edu.cn)
