Rethinking the global orientation of world-class universities from a comparative functional perspective

In a globalised knowledge-intensive society, world-class universities (WCUs), which are often regarded as global research universities, are key institutions for social and economic development. There are distinctive features of WCUs in comparison with other research universities (RUs). However, there is a dearth of studies on what WCUs can do when compared with RUs, in terms of tripartite function - education, research and service. Adopting a mixed research method, including document analysis of 96 universities, interviews with 85 university leaders and experts worldwide, and a survey involving 118 WCUs' leaders and international experts, this study explores the differences between WCUs and RUs in functions and relevant influencing factors, reveals the global orien-tation of WCUs embodied by their functions. This study provides a new perspective to reinterpret WCUs, underlining their important roles in the globalised world, on a basis of rebalancing their local, national and global roles.