Motivated primarily by what the authors call 'an instrumentation perspective', official circles are rediscovering the importance of global academic excellence. This essay argues that if public policy is to truly promote academic excellence, it is important to understand universities from within through the lives of 'unalloyed academics' like the late Jose Encarnacion. The country's most outstanding economist until he died in 1997, Encarnacion was dean of the UP School of Economics for two decades and was later named Professor Emeritus, member of the National Academy, and National Scientist. His single-minded pursuit of excellence and unwavering commitment to the highest principles of scholarship continues to be the yardstick against which all academics must measure themselves