Search results for "Higher education policy"

University language policies : How does Finnish constitutional bilingualism meet the needs for internationalisation in English?

2018

In this article, we discuss the position of Finnish constitutional bilingualism in higher education in the context of internationalisation in English, by focusing on two universities: one dominantly monolingual (Finnish), one dominantly bilingual (Finnish–Swedish); in addition, both teach in English. This article investigates how discourses around language choices (language policy documents, selected staff and student interviews) construe these universities as monolingual, bilingual or trilingual, and what these discourses say about the universities as organisations themselves. Results suggest that, although lack of clarity remains regarding language choices in many practical situations, Fi…

Raising the summit or flattening the agora? The elitist turn in science policy in Northern Europe

2017

ABSTRACTThis contribution focuses on how one hegemonic idea – excellence – which has significant impact on science and higher education policy was translated in two Nordic countries: Norway and Sweden. Building on key concepts emanating from political science and organizational sociology, the article assesses how excellence was locally translated by policy makers, leading to the rise of a series of policy measures aimed at fostering excellence in science across the board. In doing this, we investigate a key empirical dimension: the policy mechanisms or instruments launched at national levels (two Nordic countries) in the form of centers of excellence.

Dominant and emerging approaches in the study of higher education policy change

2012

The purpose of the article is to analyse recent literature on higher education policy change. Based on the review, three different approaches are distinguished: structural, actor and agency. In the structural approach the dynamic of policy change originates in well-established structures. The actor approach focuses on either individual or institutional actors as the drivers of policy change. The agency approach understands higher education policy change as an interactive process between various actors and domains within transient structures. We will also present two emerging, alternative approaches: actor-network theory, which takes interaction as a starting point and proposes that no organ…

Market trends in Spanish higher education

1997

Abstract Higher education in Spain broke away from its close dependency on the State in the last decade. In this paper we analyze the steps undertaken by the Spanish higher education system which has allowed market influences to grow in recent years. We analyze the historical framework and legal changes which have facilitated market trends in higher education. We consider the influence of these market trends on the financial and organizational structure of universities. We conclude that, though the steps are still hesitant, market-like elements are increasingly affecting every aspect of higher education life.

A Shift Towards Academic Capitalism in Finland

2013

Academic capitalism is currently a widely studied topic amongst higher education scholars, especially in the United States. This paper demonstrates that the theory of academic capitalism also provides a fruitful perspective for analysing the restructuring of Finnish higher education since the 1990s, although with reservations. It will be argued that many reforms in Finnish universities since the 1990s, and especially in the early 2000s, have integrated Finnish universities more tightly with the new knowledge-based economy. As some recent empirical studies indicate, activities and practices related to academic capitalism remain, however, unevenly distributed among different disciplines, and …

Transnational turn and national models of higher education - The case of Finland

2014

The purpose of the article is to problematize the relationship between the Nordic democratic public higher education tradition and transnational market driven knowledge economy policies. The article illustrates this development with two cases -- quality assurance and internationalisation policies -- where external demands, based mostly on market ideologies, have been introduced with apparently transnational incentives but having national implementations. These transnational pressures are related to a kind of soft governance of higher education policy, characterized by networked decision making and use of expert consultants, which possibly promotes flexible decision-making and efficiency, bu…

Financing for quality : a new deal in Spanish higher education

1996

In recent years, higher education in Spain has undergone major legal and organizational changes. The number of students and the resources committed to higher education has also grown dramatically in the last decade. After this period of rapid changes, the Spanish Public Higher Education System (SPHES) is launching mechanisms to improve overall efficiency and quality. To meet these objectives, three programs are being carried out: first, a new organization of the teaching system, which aims to make the programs more flexible, varied, of shorter duration and more closely related to social needs; second, a program to assess the quality of university institutions; and, third, a new model to fin…

Finances, Costs and Productivity of Higher Education

1989

Economic Challenges in Higher Education

1994

The financial crisis and its consequences in European higher education

1990

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