Advocates for a New Model of World-Class Universities at Shanghai Conference

Professor Yuzhuo CAI, Professor, Department of Education Policy and Leadership; Co-Director, Global Research Institute for Finnish, European, and Global South Education (GRIFE) at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) presented his vision for reimagining world-class universities at The 4th Shanghai Forum for Education Excellence （SFEE-4）& The 10th International Conference on World-Class Universities （WCU-10）with a theme of  World-Class Universities: Promoting Global Common Good (GCG). The event, hosted by the School of Education at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, took place from 14 to 16 November 2025.

In his keynote address, “From Entrepreneurial to Sustainable: Reimagining World-Class Universities for the Global Common Good”, Professor Cai traced the evolution from traditional and entrepreneurial university models towards what he termed the “sustainable world-class university”. He argued that, in the context of the knowledge economy, globalisation and escalating planetary risks, universities should be understood not only as drivers of innovation and economic growth but also as key actors in advancing the global common good.

Professor Cai critiqued ranking-driven notions of excellence and suggested that established performance indicators capture only a narrow slice of universities’ societal contributions. He proposed that a new paradigm for world-class universities should integrate sustainability goals, responsibility for future generations, and more inclusive knowledge production into the core definition of excellence. “In an era marked by intertwined global crises, world-class universities must move beyond competition for prestige,” he noted. “They should become engines for sustainable development and stewards of the global common good.”

Furthermore, Professor Cai contributed his expertise to high-level roundtable discussions. These sessions focused on ‘Contributions of World-Class Universities' Knowledge Production and Transfer to the Global Common Good’ and the development of a pioneering ‘Global Common Good Index for World-Class Universities.’
The conference involved leading international scholars to shape the future of academic excellence and higher education's role in society.