Expert Comment

Everyone tends to assume that the growth of international students will go on unfettered. But I am not sure that, when all is said and done, it is going to be quite that simple. I was brought to this conclusion by a recent visit to Singapore.

There is a fascinating moment when academics reflect upon their practices in ways that are not just emblematic but are clearly leading to real change in what the practice of being an academic actually means. I have been reminded of this fact twice recently as I have considered practices of teaching and research at a number of universities around the world.

The nature of expertise is a variable thing. It is fascinating how and why people come to be seen as legitimate commentators on issues, sometimes when they can be demonstrated to have little deep understanding of those same issues.

One of the things that often shocks new journal editors is the difficulty that they face in obtaining referees for papers. It is often necessary to approach a string of referees in order to obtain the requisite number of references. Most annoyingly of all, sometimes a person who has just submitted a paper to a journal then refuses to referee for it or has the nerve to complain about delays to the reviewing process occasioned precisely by the search for referees.

Taking on a university presidency is becoming a more and more precarious option–a sinecure it is not. No doubt that is as it should be, but recent events show just how difficult the task of leading a university can now be. No wonder that the average length of tenure of university presidents is declining almost everywhere.