Impacts of globalisation on the academic profession

In recent decades universities around the world have become the focus of intense political interest as drivers of global and national economies. The mission of the modern university was historically defined as social and cultural as well as economic. The balance of priorities has been undergoing a major shift, however, as higher education is increasingly being recognised as a driver of the new ‘knowledge economy’. ² In an environment in which higher education is treated as an aspect of economic policy, universities are coming under increasing pressure from governments and transnational institutions to become more entrepreneurial and responsive to the market. ³