discussion 9 42

Universities are institutions of higher learning that specialize in universalistic understandings: those that transcend time and place. Universities grant academic degrees, and they conduct academic teaching and research. The objective of this week’s assignment is to understand universities as carriers of globalization.

(1) Select a large university outside of the U.S. (choose any one you’d like, look at the World University Rankings if you need ideas). Share with us its location, founding date, and size (number of students).

(2a) Find and list the university’s major academic divisions (its main schools and/or colleges and/or faculties, e.g., UCI School of Social Sciences, UCI School of Law, etc.). Are there any that you don’t recognize or understand? How many of the major academic divisions also exist at UCI?

(2b) Also scan the university’s course offerings in your major or another field you know well (e.g., if you are a biology major at UCI, find the university’s biology course listings). Do you see anything surprising? What is the title of one course that could be offered at UCI? What is the title of one course that couldn’t be offered at UCI?

(3) Explain the significance of your observations and also the two YouTube videos in terms of cultural globalization. Do they suggest that academic knowledge and universities are substantially similar or substantially different from country to country?