Universities

Education for a Better World

 

The Hearth’s work in higher education ranges from enhancing existing universities, to assisting the establishment of new higher education institutions. We develop world-class institutions that offer excellence in academics and teaching; research, development and dissemination of knowledge; and that contribute to the cultural, scientific, and civic life of society.

 

A focus area is the development of world-class universities, which are predicated on a strong research ethos. Excellent education requires that students not only study and learn the specific content of the areas of their primary interest but also study ideas that influenced those areas as well as the cultures of the world that form the context for all knowledge. It is not enough for students to read texts and write exam papers that repeat what they read; students must develop through their university courses the habits of mind that enable them to succeed. It is the research focus of faculty members that drives excellence in the academic learning of students.

 

The main areas of advice/consulting provided by The Hearth for an institution to reach world-class practices include:

  • University-level academic programming (including governance structures)
  • Programme-level planning and course design (including internal analysis frameworks)
  • Quality audit (using secondary data, site visits, and interviews and observations, and analysis of documentation to deliver an education audit report that identifies an institution’s strength and weakness, areas of concern and how to develop, fix and improve the institution)
  • Partnerships (Our unique relationships give us access to many of the leading educational institutions and groups across the world, thereby creating partnership opportunities). A partnership could be between industry and academia/institutions, between higher education providers and schools, or between similar types of organisations in different geographical regions.

 

Existing Universities

As consultants who deeply understand research and the academic processes of universities, we help existing universities develop new courses, relook at their academic value proposition, and reposition themselves with prospective students. We also undertake quality audit surveys, assist growth plans and help institutions re-examine their governance structures and their financial viability.

 

New Universities

The Hearth also conducts project feasibility studies for new institutions and assists the establishment of new institutions. From the early phases of campus design and construction oversight to academic programme development and system assessment, we use our expertise to establish reputable and influential universities.