<p>NYU under Dr. Sexton is operating on a business model. Business is about profits and expansion of its core business, education. However, education as a business and endeavor to promote betterment of society should consider certain ethical and justice issues.</p>
<p>One also wonders about the location of NYU Shanghai, with China having a terrible record with human rights issues and repression of free speech (e.g. internet content).</p>
<p>However, I have my issues with America and its history of genocide (Native Indians), slavery, neglect of women’s issues and rights (until progress with Women’s Suffrage movement), recent atrocities committed under the name of fighting against terrorism, as well as the “ownership” of certain parts of the govt. by corporate interests (witness the current debate over medicare vouchers/medicaid cuts vs. basically $0 or very reduced corporate taxes paid by big companies such as GE, P & G, Microsoft, etc.). </p>
<p>The two underlying connections are money and wealth. 1) The royal family in Abu Dhabi has money and 2) a lot of wealth globally has transferred into the coffers of the Chinese Community Party and its people in the last decade or two (with the cheap manufacturing and other services China has provided to the world).</p>
<p>If ethical and justice issues are considered in each of the locations, including the core campus, then the various locations can serve as assets. However, the locations themselves may limit discussion and dialogue on “sensitive” ethical and moral issues. So, even when an educational institution is successful as a business, it may fail as a means to promote a better society.</p>
<p>This is why the article is thought provoking. There are underlying issues of the ultimate objectives of educational institutions and how a university can succeed and be competitive while adhering to the key mission of education (to promote a better society via learning, fairness, ethical concerns as well as through innovation and entrepreneurship).</p>