The UK 2004 Higher Education Act generated important debates about the relationships between higher education (HE), economic growth and social progress. The range of positions expressed in relation to the increase of annual tuition fees raises crucial questions about the public and private funding of higher education and its individual and social…

This paper explores the relationship between the diversity within a higher education system and five key factors, namely: the environment, policy intervention, funding, competition and co-operation, and ranking. The exploration is based on the extent to which higher education systems, particularly those of Australia and New Zealand, have…

This paper reports on a study of four major Canadian universities' strategies for generating revenue in the face of prolonged cutbacks. The universities are placed on a continuum of higher education funding, institutional types and organisational attributes. The study produced new hypotheses about how universities' organisational attributes change…

The idea of an entrepreneurial university caught on fast after the American sociologist Burton R. Clark published his books on entrepreneurship in universities ("Creating Entrepreneurial Universities," 1998; "Sustaining Changes in Universities," 2004). Inspired by the alluring of the notion of an entrepreneurial university, and…

An empirical study was undertaken of students in the United Kingdom and Germany in order to investigate whether their attitudes were moving away from traditional patterns towards those that might be expected in more marketised higher education systems. The British students were found to be more instrumental and materialistic in relation to their…

In this paper the authors describe the outline of an analysis of disruptive technologies presented by Christensen in his book, "The Innovator's Dilemma." They go on to argue that the analysis can be applied to the practice of e-learning as it has been developed in higher education in the United Kingdom, and possibly elsewhere. They…

This paper attempts to explain how the German higher education system strategically used quality assurance, through the new system of accreditation, to offer globally recognisable degrees such as the Bachelor's (Bakkalaureaus) and Master's (Magister) degrees. We also discuss the types of effects that this strategy has produced on the current…

Portuguese internationalisation policies essentially intend to promote an attitude favouring participation in internationalisation activities. However, as higher education institutions are autonomous, those policies aim at creating opportunities for development and management of these activities instead of imposing them. In this article we attempt…

This paper addresses the debate on the third cycle of European higher education. Currently, much attention is paid to improving the structure and quality of doctorate education in the European context of the Bologna process and the Lisbon objectives. However, alternatives to the traditional doctorate are hardly addressed in the policy documents of…

Surveyed students and faculty at Saudi Arabia's King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals about the school's summer program. Found that the program should not offer courses that require a long time to develop skills, but rather should function as a supplementary semester for students needing more help with regular course work. (EV)

Explaining that grade inflation may result from the professor's competition for favorable student evaluations, asserts that the Theory of Games could be useful for analyzing interactions among professors and their impact on the number of students attracted to their courses. Presents a model based on these assumptions and analyzes policy-relevant…

Traces the process of policy formulation in Lithuania as the country moved towards a new law on higher education. Outlines recent developments in Estonian higher education and its critical issues. Discusses findings that may be of relevance to others working in the area of legislative reform in countries moving to a market economy. (EV)

Discusses the complexity of barriers keeping nontraditional students out of higher education, then examines the United Kingdom government's proposals (contained in "Excellence Challenge") to widen participation. Identifies underlying "simplistic" assumptions about targeting and selection of students and benefits of…

Presents model for estimation of student unit costs and staffing requirements. Begins with specification of a "staff distribution matrix" setting out proportions of staff levels in a given staff category that are needed for a degree level. Student unit cost and staffing requirements are computed through manipulations on the matrix. The…

Analysis of labor statistics and employer surveys indicated that the unemployment rate for university graduates in Nigeria may be 22 percent and that their prospects for employment have worsened over time. Employers believe that graduates are poorly trained and unproductive, their skills have deteriorated over the last decade, and shortcomings are…