This paper investigates European Union (EU) education and training policies in the light of the evolving Lisbon agenda on improving the competitiveness of the EU. It examines the ways in which EU policies have developed over time, focusing on their legal basis, underlying principles, main forms of implementation and their impact on national…

Through a case study of Quebec's general and vocational colleges (cegeps), this article analyzes the role that institutions play in internationalizing the in-service training they provide to their teachers, and explains how partnerships with educational institutions in developing countries contribute to this process. Data from a questionnaire…

The uniquely Japanese institution of the tanki daigaku (two-year university) known as 'junior college' in English was seen as Japan's answer to increasing participation in higher education. Initially established on a provisional basis in 1950, becoming permanent in 1965, they were the higher education institution (HEI) of choice of almost 500,000…

Since 1971, scholarship on community college global counterparts has documented the nuances of these institutions and charted their similarities to one another. The purpose of this article is to detail the first three decades of community college global-counterpart scholarship from 1971-2001. Within each decade there exists scholarship that…

This special issue of Research in Comparative and International Education investigates the spread and development of two-year and community college institutions worldwide. While not all post-secondary education falls within the scope or definition of community colleges, both post-secondary and community college education tend to serve the needs of…

There is a growing number of students enrolling in community colleges in the United States. Many of these students are looking to transfer credits earned from the community college to four-year institutions, while others are simply looking to enter into the skilled workforce. With the increase in general enrollment and the demand for more…

The two-year community college model has historically been a uniquely US phenomenon. Increasingly, however, this model and adaptations of it are growing internationally, both through partnerships with community colleges in the United States and as adaptations to existing postsecondary vocational-education systems in developing countries. In this…

While community colleges have been accessible for adult learners with an immigrant and an English Language Learning (ELL) background, there is a gap between preparation and academic success on the college level among these students. Within community colleges, older adult English as a Second Language (ESL) students have the lowest first-semester…

This article frames the lived experiences of management and educators in further education and training (FET) colleges in South Africa, against the backdrop of the radical transformation in the governance of this sector over the past twenty years. The reforms are first described and analysed in terms of their integration and rationale for agency.…

In this study, faculty at institutions of higher education in Southern California were surveyed to determine the ways they interpret the effects of globalization dynamics upon their various teaching and research activities. Faculty in the state's three higher education tiers spoke positively about the intellectual benefits to be gained by exposure…