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The history of the Swedish universities and their roots in various traditions are traced. Attention is directed to the historico-sociological theory concerning the development and transformation of the Swedish universities from a traditional cultural institution to a rational educational institution. Six themes are covered: a general historical treatment of the economic and political structure of society and educational ideologies and reforms; decision-making organization (i.e., the formal machinery of decision-making); the organization of university studies; cognitive content, described in terms of the cognitive typology derived from Habermas; functions of the universities and their relations to the surrounding community; and the cultivation-education dimension, or aspects of rationalization of the educational transformation. In considering the transformation of the universities from the 12th century to the 1870s, three chronological periods are addressed: the medieval universities, the English and German university traditions from 1500 to 1900, and the Swedish universities from 1477 until the 1870s. Each of these sections is considered in relation to the six themes. Among the areas pertaining to the transformation of the universities from the 1870s to the 1970s are the following: the background to the expansion and transformation of the education system; the nature of the decision-making bodies; changes in the system of degrees and in university teaching; and the organizational development of research and research training in relation to degree studies. (SW)

Information on research efforts concerning higher education in Sweden is presented. Questions that have been addressed by the Swedish research program in the past five years have included the long-term social effects of higher education activities, the knowledge traditions of higher education programs, and the conditions of research with and outside the higher education system. Specific topics include: the process by which professional knowledge is acquired in occupations (e.g., economists, engineers, doctors, and psychologists); students' concept formation and knowledge development and the manner in which they acquire attitudes and values concerning what is essential to their professions; changes in cognitive capacity and linguistic proficiency during studies and for a number of years of vocational activity, particularly among teachers, but also among engineers and doctors. The cognitive, human, and social attitudes conveyed by some of the new programs are being analyzed in a number of projects through interviews with teachers, other practitioners, and policy-makers regarding the training of nurses, social workers, and preschool teachers. Additional studies concern the history of ideas with reference to the specialization and professionalization of medical practice, research training in some of the humanities, the properties of research that influence its use outside the higher education system, and decision-making processes regarding the use of research. In addition to research projects, conferences and seminars are conducted, and two special advisory groups provide support for the research program. A list of current research projects and surveys, information on program costs, and the composition of the advisory groups, and a list of conferences and meetings are appended. (SW)

Information on the Research on Higher Education Program in Sweden is presented. After an overview of the program, a bibliography of current studies by subject area, and descriptive information on current studies are provided. The research program was given an independent status within higher education research and development. The program deals with four main fields of inquiry: the role of higher education in society, the organization of higher education, the research function, and the educational function. All these areas are studied in a multidisciplinary approach whereby problems are analyzed both structurally and in process and individual perspectives. The program uses the research approaches of the humanities and the social sciences, as well as the study topics of the natural sciences and technology. The percentage of grants by discipline for 1971-1984 is tabulated. In addition, a table summarizes the research publications by disciplines and language (Swedish/English). Profiles on 26 studies include an abstract, the college department involved, the project leader, and the project period. (SW)

Information is provided on the Swedish National Board of Universities and Colleges' research on higher education program. An extensive (20-page) list of 1983-1985 publications of the research groups is included, followed by brief descriptions of 23 studies in progress, along with the project leader's name and institutional location. The percentage of grants since 1971 is indicated in four-year clusters for the following areas of research: the role of higher education in society, content and organization, the research function, and the educational function. Information is also provided on: the percentage of research grants by discipline since 1971; the extent of publishing in books, journal articles, and papers/reports by discipline; and publishing frequencies by 10 departments. Analysis of the content of the research programs reveals: the program began with studies of education and its organization, but has recently focused on research and its conditions at universities; while most of the research is conducted by social scientists and humanists, the topics of study are often located in the natural sciences and technology; and the journal article is the commonest form of publication. (SW)

A bibliography of English publications on scientific research on higher education in Sweden is presented. The publications, which are arranged according to projects and problem areas, include scientific articles, books, and other research projects, along with doctoral theses in Swedish with English summaries, and newsletters on the projects. The following problem areas are covered: the role of higher education in society, higher education as an organization, the conditions and potential of education and research, and research and development (R&D) organization and planning. Specific topics include: the relationship between education and work, student development and career choice, changes of student's conception of social structure and society, long-term effects of higher education, institutional autonomy, the Swedish reform of higher education, attitudes about the universities, the training of researchers, research directions, study skills and learning, teaching methods, problem solving, teaching and learning basic concepts in economics, and R&D and public policy-making. Approximately 220 references are included in the bibliography. (SW)

A special Research on Higher Education Program in Sweden is described, and a bibliography of approximately 450 studies of higher education and research is presented. Studies sponsored by the program cover four main fields: higher education and society; the content and organization of higher education; the research function; and the educational function. The percentage of grants for each of the four areas is indicated for 1971-1974, 1975-1978, 1979-1982, and 1983-1986. Percentages of grants for these time periods are also indicated for five discipline groups. The bibliography consists of higher education and research studies conducted during 1983-1986 by the research groups. Information is included on the number of publications by discipline; the type of publication (book, journal articles, papers/reports); the language (Swedish, English); and the departments/research groups conducting the research studies. Abstracts of 25 selected research projects are also provided, along with the project leader's name and address of the research group. A number of the titles in the bibliography are in Swedish. (SW)