A global university should develop in students an awareness of social ills in the world and help them make a difference, the University of Hong Kong's dean of social sciences said. Speaking at the forum on trends in higher education, Ian Holliday said now was the time for universities to help make the world a better place. Sending students on exchange programmes from one elite university to another would not make them global citizens, he said. 'You have to be engaged with many problems in the world rather than simply circulating in the elite space,' Professor Holliday said. 'Students who come to us believe in changing the world. We should tap their enthusiasm and facilitate their desire for them to make a difference.' William Brustein, associate provost for International Affairs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said a global university would make sure internationalisation was being incorporated into strategic plans not only of the university but also all affiliated schools and colleges. Apart from the usual tips of attracting foreign students, sending home students abroad and offering internationally focused majors, minors or certificate courses, Professor Brustein stressed the need to internationalise faculty staff. Overseas teaching and research experience should carry significant weight in performance reviews. 'It's controversial but it's important for us to be a global university,' he said.
