Towards Establishing World-Class Universities: A Conceptual Approach

Education and Health form the foundation for building a strong republic. Vibrant communities and a prosperous society are built on the foundation of a strong education system. The world is fast changing. Globalization has accelerated. There has been tremendous growth, but also deepening inequalities. New technologies are revolutionising the way we communicate and share information, as well as how we teach and learn. The world is getting younger every day, and the expectations of young people are rising for quality education and decent jobs. Swept along with these changes, education faces new challenges of equity, quality and relevance. The survival and success of any organization depends entirely on its ability to adjust to the dynamics of the business and its working environment. Academic institutions have to transform to meet the challenges of the new millennium. In this paper the authors discuss the key issues pertaining to higher education. The focus is on achieving excellence through accreditation, continuous quality improvement, world class infrastructure, cutting edge technology, human resource management, curriculum development, assessment methods, research and above all good governance of universities. The world is changing rapidly. The mission of higher education is to have better access and excellence. Achieving Excellence challenges the education sector to transform to meet the expectations of today and build the vibrant, prosperous province of tomorrow. Management of educational institutions is becoming more and more difficult because of very fast changes in their environment. By raising expectations for what our education system can accomplish. The objectives of academic institutions should be to give each student, opportunities to improve in knowledge, knowhow, wisdom, and character. Quality of education is the skill of building the abilities of assimilating the knowledge in the area of educational needs and the implementation of this knowledge to creating mechanisms allowing fulfilling expectations of customers and educational services. Achieving excellence can help uncover and develop the potential of all learners. It will reveal learner's hidden gifts and spark new passions for future careers. For improving the quality of an academic institution, commitment and knowledge of the leadership is the first step. Philosophy and a culture must be introduced in the organization based on some core values. The challenge is to prepare the students for a world that has yet to be created, for jobs yet to be invented, and for technologies yet undreamed. We need today a new big push in education and a new strategic vision of education's central importance for human dignity and for sustainable development in every society.