Professors Without Borders Think Tank

  • Following the launch of its Book Review Program on 28 March 2019, Professors Without Borders has published its second book review written by Mary Sullivan
  • In the Great Brain Race: How Global Universities Are Shaping the World author Ben Wildavsky argues that the intense competition between universities to recruit the best talent  has effectively created a global marketplace of higher education.
  • Wildavsky presents a strong argument supported by a variety of cases studies from Europe, Asia and the Middle East; however, Mary Sullivan uncovers the key weaknesses of Wildvasky’s thesis.

Download the book review: The Great Brain Race, How Global Universities Are Shaping the World by Ben Wildavsky

Copy of Press Release Press Release: Professors Without Borders Publishes Second Book Review 

PROFESSORS WITHOUT BORDERS (PROWIBO) PRESS RELEASE 25th April, 2019 | London

In her review of The Great Brain Race by Ben Wildavsky, Mary Sullivan explores Wildavsky’s detailed account of how global universities competing to recruit talented students have created a global marketplace for higher education. Sullivan finds that Wildavsky examines the evolution of this marketplace by analysing the growth of branch universities, the explosion of for-profit universities, and the increasing importance of meritocratic admissions and university ranking systems. While Wildavsky thesis is structured and supported by a variety of case studies from the Middle East, Asia and Europe, Sullivan investigates some of the limitations of Wildavsky argument.


Mary Sullivan has a Bachelor’s Degree in Development Studies from Richmond, the American International University in London. She joined the PROWIBO team as an intern in the summer of 2018 assisting with the logistics of the summer school programs. In the fall of 2018, Mary became the Think Tank Projects Manager for PROWIBO and plans to continue to work with PROWIBO while pursuing her M.A. in Global Health at the University of Glasgow in the fall of 2019.

For further enquiries, interviews and media, contact,

Director, Dr Caroline Varin –​ cvarin@prowibo.com

Richard Adams for further press enquiries ​radams@prowibo.com