As the field of education has become a highly internationalised policy field in the last decade, international organisations such as the OECD play an ever more decisive role in the dissemination of knowledge, monitoring of outcomes, and research in education policy. Although the OECD lacks any binding governance instruments to put coercion on…

Three basic European educational systems are distinguished: state-financed and -controlled system; non-state system that does not rely solely on public financing or management; and private education, dependent on various systems of finance and/or indirect subsidy and controlled by proprietors. The history and problems of private education are…

The decade of 1975-85 is characterized as a time of consolidation and qualitative change in European higher education, including growth in managerial control, budgetary change, changes in patterns of academic power and institutional leadership, altered perceptions of the university in government policymaking, and increased questions about the…

The meaning and dimensions of "leadership" in universities are examined, the role of the American college president is contrasted with that of his European counterparts, and the historical sources of the American university president's unique role are traced. (MSE)

A discussion of educational reform in Central and Eastern Europe in general, and Romania in particular, suggests four distinct reform stages: destructuring (1990); stabilization (1991-92); restructuring (1993-95); and counterreform (after 1993). Political, social, and economic attitudes and actions characterizing these stages are examined. (MSE)

In Greece, universities do not have great autonomy. Areas of responsibility and authority of the state and the institutions are not clearly defined. Universities are always under the political supervision of the ministries of education. (MSE)

The recent history of the Israeli educational system, particularly its trend toward decentralization, is used to test some common assumptions about the need for centralization to achieve control in times of fiscal constraint, need for improvement, and non-implementation of central policies. (MSE)

Efforts to promote cooperation between higher education and industry in the European Community during the 1980s took these forms: encouragement through legislation; development of specific programs; changes in internal structures of higher education; and financial support of projects. Most of the impetus has come from education, not industry. (MSE)

On the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of Swedish comprehensive education, it is concluded that the system has attained some of its social and academic aims fully and approached attainment of others. Areas for further improvement include increased local governance, more clearly articulated goals, and curriculum development. (MSE)

A discussion of the status of the comprehensive secondary school in Germany looks at its history within the overall educational system, curriculum design, the relatively traditional approach taken by West Germany in comparison to other European countries, and the chances for comprehensive schools in a united Germany. (MSE)

An analysis of the changes in Western European higher education in the last decade focuses on three developments, all with origins in earlier periods: the increased pace of international exchange and cooperation, strengthening of regional cooperation and planning, and a reassessment of the role of government in educational planning and governance.…

Issues in European vocational education in the last two decades are examined, including diminishing resources, changing locus of decision making, youth unemployment, and technology-driven change. An international technical assistance project to reform the Albanian vocational education system is then described, and the influence of reforms in five…