In this course we will explore the local, national, and global dimensions of higher education from sociological and comparative perspectives. Issues covered will include teaching and learning, internationalization, credentialism and employability, global rankings competition, academic freedom and knowledge production, and cross-border research collaboration.
Emphasis will be placed on critically engaging with the tensions inherent in the varied social roles of world-class universities, institutions rooted in particular nation-states but active in international and global spaces.
We will engage with leading scholarship in the field, representations in the media, and our own educational experiences to explore these and other student-directed topics. Students will develop skills in academic reading, writing, presentation, and discussion.