This book adopts a qualitative case study approach to provide the
readers with a systematic delineation and interpretation of the
implications of the university ranking phenomenon for Taiwan's higher
education system. It reviews the literature on different theories
concerning the global transformation of higher education and presents
basic information on higher education in Taiwan. The author develops a
four-dimensional framework for the analysis of the ranking phenomenon in
the island-state. First, the technological/ecological dimension aims to
look into how the rankings have impacted Taiwan's higher education based
on empirical findings from five Taiwanese public universities. Next, the
technological/geographical dimension examines how Taiwan can use
rankings to promote its interests in global higher education. The two
conceptual dimensions focus on the relationship between the rankings and
power in higher education. They show how the phenomenon can be read and
explained through theoretical lenses from ecological and geographical
perspectives. From an ecological perspective, the empirical evidence
suggests that the influence of rankings varies throughout the academic
hierarchy in Taiwan. The theoretical analysis then illustrates the
relationship between the ranking phenomenon and the power structure in
academic hierarchy. Geographically, while the empirical analysis is
based on data from Taiwan, the theoretical analysis offers essential
insights that help readers to understand the changing global landscape
of higher education and its implications in East Asia.
