Transformation or reproduction? contradictions in the social role of the contemporary university

The phenomenon of globalisation is frequently claimed to be making an increasingly serious impact on higher education throughout the world. At the same time, higher education, both through the research it generates and through its commitment to the international exchange of people and knowledge, is itself playing a key role in enabling, and even accelerating, the processes of globalisation. This book contains research-based essays by established scholars from four continents. The authors draw on a range of perspectives in the field of higher education research to analyse the development of international policies in higher education and the impact of mutual observation and policy borrowing on national policies, and offer insights into recent changes and challenges for students, staff, and labour market relationships. The book will be of special interest not only for researchers concerned with higher education in general and with international/comparative aspects in particular, but for policymakers and managers in higher education, in academic institutions, and in government, and for academic staff and other stakeholders concerned with the future of higher education.