Geopolitical meridians of world-class universities
This article discusses results from two waves (2017, 2019) of world-class universities’ identification, thus allowing provision of a geopolitical snapshot of advanced universities’ global market. Results show that United Europe is becoming a leader, while Asia and the United States’ positions have worsened. Economic and cultural factors are based on different countries’ foundations of success in formation of global universities. The quality of the economic prerequisite involves the existence of global high-tech companies in the country; their number and strength determine the number and strength of world-class universities. The quality of the cultural prerequisite involves wide dissemination of the “philosophy of cooperation,” that is, intensive national and international exchange experience among universities through creation of numerous collaborations, for example, international leagues and unions, regional consortia and groups, and professional associations and alliances.