HSE’s Twelve
Recently an International Advisory Committee was formed at the HSE. Its next meeting will take place on May 22nd. Isak Froumin, acting Vice Rector of the HSE, told us about the Committee’s tasks, members and principles of its work.
—Isak, what was the purpose of creating the Committee?
— The purpose of the committee is to support the HSE's strategic development as an internationally recognized university. Good decisions are rarely made in isolation, without any feedback and external support. The IAC - HSE International Advisory Committee - is a body which will have consulting functions and help in international positioning of the University. A vast majority of leading universities in the world have a similar body of external expertise.
—Who are the committee members and what was the rationale for the candidates'selection?
—Consultative support is the most effective when carried out by experts with an impeccable reputation. That's why reputation became one of the criteria for the experts'selection. The second criterion which is no less important is experience and knowledge of each expert. PMost of all, we are interested in academic experience, especially in the spheres where the HSE is planning to develop dynamically, i.e. economics, sociology, public administration and other areas of knowledge. Another important principle of selection is the experience of management in higher education and a deep understanding of the specifics of modern educational trends and prospects.
Currently among the committee members are the following outstanding experts:Philip Altbach, one of the most renowned experts in U.S. higher education;Sir Michael Barber, author of some very interesting works on public administration and formerly an assistant to British Prime Minister Tony Blair;Manuel Castells, a prominent sociologist from Spain, one of the three most quoted experts in the world;Timothy Colton, Director of the Davis Center at the Harvard University, who has for many years been conducting Russian studies;Eric Maskin, a Nobel laureate in Economics in 2007 (he will chair our Committee), he works at the Institute for Advanced Studies of Princeton University - the Institute where von Neumann and Einstein worked;Patti McGill Peterson, senior associate at the Institute for Higher Education Policy, who was rector of two universities, Wells College and St. Lawrence University, for 16 years;Jamil Salmi, consultant at the World Bank, an expert with vast experience in educational projects in various regions of the world;Peter Stearns, First Vice President of George Mason University;Daniel Treisman, a brilliant young researcher working at the interface of economics, political science and sociology, Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. In the near future, more experts will join the Committee's. Certainly, such committee of ‘stars'will not only provide the University with consultative support, necessary recommendations and important advice, but will also seriously enhance the HSE's reputation.
—What authorities will this body have?
—The Committee - and this is in line with the best international practices - is not a decision-making body. Rather, the IAC gives recommendations. Our task is to provide the high professional level of these recommendations and to make sure they transform to university management practices.
Committee members will discuss the strategy of HSE development, evaluate the quality of task setting and effectiveness of the tools for their implementation and support the clarification of the University's strategy. The IAC will provide the HSE with consultative support in selection of the most promising international staff, help develop strategies of research, find solutions in problem areas, such as, for example, increasing of publication activity of HSE staff members in leading international academic journals.
—How many experts are IAC members and what is the procedure of the Committee work?
After consulting with colleagues with experience of similar committees, we decided to limit the number of the Committee members to twelve. This will allow us to receive a wide variety of experience and recommendations from IAC members without affecting their efficiency. Throughout the year we shall introduce all the most important materials to the members of the International Advisory Committee, and the meetings of the Committee will be annual. The next meeting will take place on May 22nd. But face to face meetings are only the tip of the iceberg. Committee members are experts with superlative knowledge of textual and analytical work. We shall be receiving feedback all year round, and will organize video-conferences from time to time.
Valentina Gruzintseva, HSE News Service