The global push to establish world class universities is thoughtfully depicted and critiqued in this interesting book. The editors and authors first outline some of the cross-national forces behind the drive to foster WCU. Then they present several case-studies that enable the reader to understand both what is similar and what is different in the respective efforts to launch WCUs in diverse national settings. The researchers who have contributed to this volume are first-rate and have cooperated in a common research design. The outcome is a volume of exceptional high quality that sheds much light on one of the most important trends in contemporary higher education