Chuing Prudence Chou, “The SSCI Syndrome in Higher Education” (Sense Publishing, 2013)

Universities across the world have become more attuned to a global competition in higher education. International rankings and world class status are now critical focuses for these institutions. Academics have also gotten swept into this perceived competition, as their research plays a key factor for rankings and prestige. This phenomenon has pressed Dr. Chuing Prudence Chou to edit a volume chronicling these concerns and implications, entitled The SSCI Syndrome in Higher Education: A Local or Global Phenomenon (Sense Publishers, 2013), a series in Comparative and International Education: A Diversity of Voices. The authors contend that the completion and pressure of high stakes publishing has created an unhealthy environment, even lessening collaboration. For the social sciences, being published in a journal listed in the Social Sciences Citation Index has become a must for professors. However, Dr. Chou and her colleagues contend that the focus on SSCI has marginalized other journals and also academics whom come from non-English speaking countries. While the book’s roots are in Taiwan, the lessons are far reaching for higher education globally.

Dr. Chou joins New Books in Education for the interview. For questions or comments on the podcast, you can also find the host on Twitter at @PoliticsAndEd.

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