Вестник ВГУ ПРОБЛЕМЫ ВЫСШЕГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ SOME THOUGHTS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE NEW ERA Leung Tin Pui The Hong Kong Polytechnic University PREAMBLE In recent years, higher education around the world has rapidly developed, with the total number of degree students more than doubled in a decade’s time. <...> There are also pertinent issues for discussions, including the importance of teaching versus research, and the utilization of R&D results for the benefit of the society. <...> As of common knowledge, the 21st century is a new era of knowledge-based economy. <...> As a matter of fact, it has already affected our daily life and effected overall globalization. <...> Being the major breeding ground of high level manpower and new knowledge, universities have the responsibility of providing leadership and support in these new endeavours. <...> This paper intends to provide an overall view of higher education. <...> In the mid 20th century, advanced industrial countries in Europe and North America had tremendously enlarged the base and scale of tertiary education due to the need of economic growth as well as the desire of the people. <...> At the end of the 20th century, new knowledge and technology had become a very important factor for economic growth. <...> It is well known that universities play an important role for the creation of new knowledge. <...> THE PRESENT POSITION and century, universities had already taken on the additional role of doing research in creating new knowledge, as well as carrying out teaching to young people. <...> Due to the community need there is a tendency for tertiary education to become more professional oriented, and to go for applied as well as fundamental research. <...> Hence such certain and objective knowledge can readily be presented in print, and in modern time on the Internet. <...> University teachers are more used to such knowledge (the know-what) and to assess students of such information in examinations. <...> In the context of a modern world, there is also the tacit knowledge (the know-how) of imagination and innovation, of design and creativity, of choice and judgement, and of decision-making and management, that has become as, or even more, important. <...> It is a new challenge to the academic world of equipping students with both certain and objective knowledge, as well as with tacit knowledge for their future career. <...> ПРОБЛЕМЫ <...>