ABSTRACT
The vision for the PLuS Alliance was that it would have relevance across each institution and be supported by both top-down and bottom-up leadership. The line-up of issues includes the dreaded race for rankings, threats of deregulation, widening participation drives, student debt, new business models and, of course, crystal-ball gazing about universities of the future – their structure, impact and relevance. The narrative took more shape in 2017 through an internal review and the development of a 2018 –2020 Strategic Plan, a roadmap that gave more clarity to the mission and articulated the Alliance’s role “to use its convening power to unite its partner universities” and to add value for both internal and external stakeholders. Genuine processes to build engagement from the bottom up in each university were of paramount importance from the outset. Several big networks, such as the World University Network and Universitas 21, provide opportunities for universities across the world to share their perspectives on shared challenges.
