Creating world-class universities: Implications for developing countries

Many countries are now creating world-class universities (wcus) as essential parts of their higher education reform agendas,and as national goals. it is legitimate to ask whether every county that aspires to build a wcu can do so-especially developing countries. to answer this question,this paper provides a three-step framework. the first step in building a wcu is to understand its characteristics. the second is for the country to systematically assess whether it has the capacity to create a wcu by rationally appreciating the challenges it would face in creating one. third,it must understand,given the challenges discovered in the second step,what to do to create a wcu. considering this framework,only a few developing countries have the potential to foster a wcu. thus it is difficult for many universities in developing countries to enter an existing market already occupied by well-developed education systems and universities. © 2013 unesco ibe.