Global Perspectives on Higher Education

COVID-19 caused massive disruptions in the higher education sector across the world. The transition to online learning exposed the deep-rooted inequalities between countries, systems, institutions, and student groups in terms of the availability of information technology infrastructure, internet access and digital literacy, as well as prior training and experiences of faculty in online education. This volume explores various aspects of the impact of the pandemic on higher education management including how university administration responded to the crisis, and the role of local and national government agencies in academic support and higher education delivery. The key findings highlight the importance of better organisation and preparedness of higher education systems for future crises, and the need for a better dialogue between governments, higher education institutions and other stakeholders. The book calls for a collective response to address the digital divide among various groups and financial inequalities within and between the private and public universities, and to plan for the serious challenges that international students face during crisis situations.

This book examines the Ethiopian higher education sector through an exploration of its various dimensions, challenges and prospects. Albeit one of the largest systems in the continent, the sector has received little research attention in the past. The book bridges this gap by marshalling a variety of current themes and issues with their wider implications for continental and global higher education. The chapters are structured in such a way that general readers, professionals and students of higher education can have a good grasp of the Ethiopian higher education sector as a microcosm of the African higher education ecosystem.

The Eighth International Conference on World-Class Universities was held in October 2019. The conference theme was “World-Class Universities: Global Trends and Institutional Models”.

The theme of this volume is embedded in the context of an ever-changing and complex world. Changes are taking place constantly in social, economic, cultural and political spheres, such as technological transformation, backlash against globalization and emerging forces of nationalism in various parts of the world, as well as increasing inequality and disparity of wealth, economic and social opportunities. These challenges impact global, national and institutional higher education practices and induce mounting pressure on World-Class Universities to respond effectively to the ferocity of social change.

World-Class Universities, commonly recognized as global research universities or flagship universities, are essential in developing a nation’s potential in the knowledge economy and in seeking conceptual and practical solutions to daunting challenges. This volume sheds light on World-Class Universities’ challenges, opportunities, roles and strategies in response to the changing landscape of higher education and our society as a whole. It is composed of two parts: “Global Trends” and “Institutional Models”.

This volume is already the 50th in the book series Global Perspectives on Higher Education! In this book, the editors and authors paid special attention to this important anniversary.

The 50th volume in the book series ‘Global Perspectives on Higher Education' offers a stimulating and thoughtful assessment of higher education from a global perspective which addresses the challenges and prospects for the next decade. The challenges now faced by higher education and its likely future prospects and patterns are examined in terms of policy papers and case studies. Five broad topics are considered: the situation of academic faculty, the demand for access, the role of the university in society and its governance, funding trends, and higher education’s international dimensions.

The volume brings together as authors fourteen of the thirty participants of the Fulbright New Century Scholars 2005/2006 program, whose research addressed the topic of Higher Education in the 21st Century: Global Challenge and National Response and was published in a volume edited by the program leaders, Philip G. Altbach and Patti McGill Peterson, Higher Education in the New Century: Global Challenges and Innovative Ideas (2007). The present book not only continues the examination and assessment of current global trends in higher education, but also bears witness to the enduring power of Senator Fulbright’s vision of furthering mutual international understanding and offering collaborative study opportunities which extend the frontiers of knowledge.

This book features a carefully curated collection of articles drawn from the quarterly International Higher Education (IHE). Focused on the international dimensions and trends in higher education, these articles offer valuable insights into the tumultuous events spanning from January 2018 to December 2023. This volume offers a comprehensive discussion of key international themes covering a period of great turmoil in global higher education in a series of short, targeted articles.

The five-year period is marked by the geopolitical tensions and internationalization issues at both national and international levels, in the middle of a global pandemic. We provide readers with a coherent organization of articles, grouped into ten themes that relate to the most central issues facing international(ization of) higher education, which are relevant today and in the future.

While readers of the higher education research community will find these themes familiar, this book is also tailored for a more diverse audience. Policymakers and practitioners worldwide will find this book helpful when seeking a comprehensive and approachable guide to navigating the complexities of international dimensions and trends in higher education. This collection is a valuable resource for courses worldwide that focus on global issues and the internationalization of higher education.

During the past several decades, several “highly-resourced, accelerated research universities” have been established around the world to pursue—and achieve—academic and research excellence. These institutions are entirely new, not existing universities that were reconfigured. Accelerated Universities provides case studies of eight such universities and highlights the lessons to be learned from these examples. Each of the cases is written by someone involved with leadership at the early developmental stages of each university, and provides insights that only senior executives can illustrate. Accelerated Universities shows that visionary leadership and generous funding combined with innovative ideas can yield impressive results in a short time. Universities aspiring to recognition among the top tier of global institutions will find this book indispensable.