Concern about the legitimate role of the government in evaluating higher education institutions has developed as a result of a 1985 Dutch proposal for decentralization that combines a formal national quality control system with increased institutional autonomy through self-regulation. The issues are outlined. (MSE)

The development, structure, and implementation of a Dutch model (Analyse Model voor het Onderwijs in Studierichtingen--AMOS) for evaluating institutional performance are described. The method is designed to respond to student and social needs while giving faculty members the information on student progress needed to strengthen instruction. (MSE)

A discussion of trends in the structure of higher education since 1960 focuses on three modern imperatives: the demands for greater opportunity in the polity, for higher competence in each advanced economy marked by greater competition among nations, and for facilities for lifelong learning. (MSE)

Elements of the West German apprenticeship system, in which most non-college-bound secondary school graduates enter a two-year-minimum, low-paying apprenticeship that may provide more training than is practically necessary, are discussed and some misconceptions are examined. (MSE)

Recent French reforms in the university system and their implications for doctoral research are criticized as adding constraints without improvements, and a new approach to assessing the quality of doctoral theses is proposed. (MSE)

Overreliance on enrollment figures for comparative analysis of higher education systems may create misunderstanding because data often lump together what is institutionally different, and the notion of "higher education student" may conceal completely different conditions, even within the same sector. (MSE)

Analysis of three common approaches to higher education planning (social demand, manpower planning, and rate-of-return) in European countries suggests that while planners should not rely on one approach, combining approaches superficially can produce contradictory indicators. It also suggests ideological differences are less significant in…

The failure of education systems around the world to establish and exploit the crucial link between education and the labor market is examined. Suggestions are made for closing the gap by educational enhancement, redirection, balancing costs, and promoting school-industry links. (MSE)

The educational, social, and economic implications of Britain's recently adopted policy of charging foreign students for the full cost of their education are examined, especially in the context of the worldwide demand for higher education in English-language institutions. (MSE)

An international survey of institutions with study-abroad programs gathered information on program design, administration, and articulation, the educational and social profile of the participants, and program impact, especially on the students. (MSE)

Trends and changes in international recognition of academic achievement in the European Community are examined. The history of international negotiations and conventions concerning recognition, recent initiatives, and prospects for progress are discussed. (MSE)

The nature and implementation of the Convention of Prague, a 1972 agreement signed by ten Socialist countries, are discussed. The agreement concerns the mutual recognition of the equivalence of general and professional secondary school leaving certificates, final higher education degrees, and certificates marking conferment of academic ranks and…

The efforts of the European Community and the Council of Europe to organize and encourage international cooperation for academic mobility and recognition of qualifications and degrees are examined, and the apparent divergence in developments and interests is discussed. (MSE)

A study examined the perceptions of British language students and faculty about student placement in teaching internships abroad. The model used addresses the similarity, congruency, and accuracy of the perceptions of two people concerning a particular issue, and it is recommended for further research on related topics. (MSE)

Efforts in Sweden to increase contacts between the university and the rest of society and to build better links between studies and research and the reality of professional life and actual work situations are described. Higher Education Act, teacher development, Lund University experiment, and government experiment with researchers are discussed.…