Search

Through an analysis of Allahabad University's functioning, this article argues that independent India's ideas of federalism reimagined university education. New visions of the educated person – linked to ideas about the ideal citizen – changed the kinds of disciplines and universities being funded. With support from industrial elites to buttress the new nation-state's development plans, the state prioritised technical education over arts and humanities to serve a unified economic policy. This change manifested through increased scrutiny over university functioning and crackdowns on student protests. The Indian postcolonial state's "centralised" federalism to manage the national economy and promote national integration impacted university funding. Ultimately, decisions about university funding were tied to the state's vision of the ideal apolitical citizen student, who would contribute to national development. This article highlights the complicated relationship between capital, the postcolonial nation-state, and university autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of threats to their financial sustainability, this paper uses Resource Dependency Theory to explore the challenges being faced by a sample of 10 small new public universities in England. It discusses the responses being taken and prospects for the future in this segment of the sector. It concludes that some of the most important elements of income and expenditure are also areas where institutions have amongst the lowest levels of autonomy, including tuition fees, staff salaries and pension costs. It suggests that institutions are proactively seeking ways to both adapt their strategy and influence the environment in which they operate, including the introduction of new organisational forms, models for employing staff, the diversification into new programmes and markets, and greater use of domestic and international partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this essay, I introduce the term governance inversion to describe a situation in which a university administration repositions a governance body in such a way as to limit its legitimate governance function. Structural conditions might make governance inversion more likely, but narratives might also be deployed to make the inversion appear as the common-sense order of things. To illustrate, I examine how a university president has deployed a legalistic narrative to manage the university's senior academic governance body, General Faculties Council (GFC), and to relegate its role to that of a de facto advisory body, while the president is left free (without any similarly narrow reading of the president's own role under the governing legislation) to assume the position of the dreamer and mover of the university's future. This situation raises important questions about who articulates--and who is seen to have the legitimate authority to articulate--the mission, vision, and goals of the public university, as well as whose interests are ultimately being served by governance inversion. I suggest ways in which academic staff might organize so that governance inversion becomes recognizable and so that they might collectively set an inversion aright. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we look into the ways of appropriation of the Human Sciences Support Project (PROHUM) in three Argentine national universities: those of La Plata, General Sarmiento and Luján. A collective case study of instrumental type was developed at a micro-social scale, triangulating data from institutional documents and in-depth interviews with authorities. The research sought to determine the degree of autonomy of these actors in the institutional definitions reached. Among the common measures, priority was given to the strengthening of positions assigned to pedagogical training subjects in teaching programs in the disciplines included in the PROHUM. The measures for the consolidation of teams for the initial stages of the careers also had a prominent place. Among the differences, the criteria that guided the decisions in each case stand out: the massiveness or the situation of dropout in the first years. In all three cases, a high degree of autonomy in defining improvements in teacher training was evident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article adopts an institutional perspective to elucidate Iranian university autonomy. First, a historical analysis traces statist dominance over academia in Iran by examining archival sources, documents, and scholarly works. Second, a content analysis of expert panels, interviews, and literature categorizes higher education's problems to delineate key issues. Third, a meta-analysis examines the implications for institutional autonomy and academic freedom. Fourth, governmental strategy regarding university autonomy is scrutinized by analyzing policies, laws, and statements. Finally, a reconciliatory strategy is proposed embracing accountability while expanding autonomy. Tracing critical junctures, the analysis outlines the divergence of modern universities from traditional seminaries through state establishment based on Western models, engendering governance effects. The 1851 Dar ol-Fonun constituted an initial modernizing response. The 1934 genesis of Tehran University enacted a seminal rupture with old seminaries. The 1980 Cultural Revolution expanded governmental control to reshape higher education. Consequently, extensive interventions overlaid with centralized bureaucracy have dominated academia. Resultant autonomy constraints stem from structural-administrative deficiencies, financial dependence, attenuated university-society connections, and pervasive formalism. By illuminating the historical shaping forces, this perspective identifies avenues for developing accountability-anchored autonomy through contextualized strategy, providing insights into policy pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the author argues that the new Law on Amendments to the Law on Higher Education from 2021 is not in harmony with the Constitution of Serbia regarding the provisions implying the consent of church bodies for enrollment of students, employment and loss of appointment pertinent to the Faculty of Orthodox Theology. The paper tackles the relation between the university and the Church in Serbia, which changed dramatically since 2019, when the Church started intervening illegally in the Faculty of Theology, triggering a change of the law governing higher education. With the new law, the Serbian Church, a non-university and non-state institution, has been allowed to fully control the enrollment of students, and the selection and dismissal of the state university teachers, and this fact clearly contradicts the Serbian Constitution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the main lines of governance in systems of higher education, as published in the mainstream literature (Web of Science) in the past ten years (2011–2020). Analysis shows the primacy of three discourses: 1) governance as a specific form of the state's management of higher education at a distance; 2) governance as government definitions of policy in higher education; and 3) governance as a set of actors directly and indirectly involved in discussing the organization of activities in institutions of higher education. Based on this analysis, an integrated definition of governance is proposed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Capitalism as a prevailing mode of production at the planetary level has been reconfiguring and, for several decades, it has exhibited new patterns in its operation that impact all spheres of life in society, including education. Humanity is going through a historical moment in which that society was turned into a great market and public higher education began to be treated as «commodity». Objectives: Demonstrate that in the current moment of evolution of the capitalist system, higher education is being disputed, to turn it into another instrument at the service of capital. Method and Techniques: With a Latin American perspective, and using the Marxist-based critical historical method, the article uses a bibliographic review to address different macrostrategies that are impacting Public Higher Education in the Region and in the Costa Rican context. Results: Higher education today is being transfigured so that it ceases to be a public good, a social and universal right, and becomes one more commercial service. Conclusions: Constant fights for state budgets; an explosive growth of private sector institutions; accreditation systems that aim not only to blur the differences and tensions between the public sector and the private sector, but also to promote internationalization processes and the transnationalization of higher education at a regional and global level; injuries to university autonomy; as well as modifications in the working conditions of academic work; they are part of the contemporary trends that threaten the Latin American Public University. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Spain, single-sex education generates numerous controversies, which have been accentuated with the LOMLOE and its obligation to practice coeducation in schools supported totally or partially with public funds. Although with less media coverage, this debate is also observed in the seventh additional provision of the LOSU regulating the Colegios Mayores, where an amendment was included that establishes that Colegios that segregate students by sex will not be able to be attached to a public university. The aim of this research is to analyze from a legal and educational perspective the arguments that support this amendment, as well as its legislative implications. For this purpose, both a critical hermeneutic analysis of different legal sources and a pedagogical analysis of issues related to the affective-sexual education of young people are carried out. The analysis allows us to question the simple assumption of coeducation in Colegios Mayores being the most effective measure for the improvement of coexistence between both sexes and allows us to affirm that the inclusion of this amendment in the legislation supposes a serious prejudice to the freedom of creation of centers, to the freedom of choice of students and to university autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the causes and outcomes of two university reforms during the single-party era in Turkey (1923–1946), focusing on the implications of the reforms in terms of higher education governance models—the state-control and academic self-governance—that are ultimately characterized by the balance between the type and degree of central control and university autonomy. The paper argues that the degree of ideational controversy and institutional strength in the given policy field considerably affected the reform processes and outcomes, reconciling historical institutionalist assumptions with ideational institutional approaches. The process-tracing analysis shows that the university reform of 1933 was mainly triggered by the ideological and political dissidence between some of the academic staff and the ruling and intellectual elite who wanted to heavily control the university and ended up with the transition to a heavy state-control regime. The principal driving force behind the 1946 reform was to adapt the country to the changing external political conditions after the end of WWII, aiming to lend a democratic face to the regime, which, in combination with other factors such as the growing opposition from academic circles, led to the institutionalization of academic self-governance model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have documented a tendency of (semi-)authoritarian regimes to undermine university autonomy, mainly through organizational (de jure) changes. This paper presents a case study of a publicly triggered plagiarism investigation by the University of Belgrade into the doctoral thesis of the Serbian Minister of Finance, one of the key members of the increasingly authoritarian regime. The analysis finds a proceduralized and delayed response of the university's leadership, which indicates lowered de facto autonomy from politics, despite the university's continually high de jure autonomy. The investigation was closed only after a mobilization within the academic community which resulted in a university's blockade that forced its leadership to retract the contentious thesis. The case study shows that, in contexts of democratic backsliding, political capture can extend farther than usually thought, impacting even the implementation of internal university standards. On the other hand, the analysis also shows that political capture is not necessarily irreversible and that academic community can mobilize to 'undo' it. This reinforces the notion of academic communities as value-driven groups capable of exerting peer pressure to override even authoritarian pressures. In order to understand the dynamic of the plagiarism inquiry in its entirety, we apply insights from theory of power to complement and overcome the limitations of the conventional theoretical frameworks on democratic backsliding and academic autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional classroom setting has transitioned from a solely face-to-face, teacher-oriented instructional approach to an integrated, mixed-mode classroom learning dynamic. With this change of educational context, it is imperative to know: are students' basic psychological needs being better met and fulfilled? To address this question, this paper adopted a mixed method to discover if, and how, blended learning meets students' three basic psychological needs, specifically relatedness, competence and autonomy. Findings show that the first two need-constructs of relatedness and competence were fulfilled. The need for autonomy, however, was not being met due to school culture, assessment and the perhaps-habitual adherence to the conventional roles of teachers and students. This study also found that the three aforementioned psychological are positively related. In fact, blended learning has provided a new dimension of, and opportunity for, learning interactions for students of differing learning styles. Varieties of academic outputs released other expressions of "self" in many students, which enabled the first need for relatedness to be met. Blended learning outputs could bring a positive spiral of development of recognition from others, and meet the second need of competence later, leading to better identity formation, and ultimately again to relatedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Georgia, the question of academic freedom emerged only after the country gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and its universities could begin reckoning with a heavy past of ideological pressure, censorship, governmental control and top‐down management. Despite official declarations of the right to academic freedom and its recognition within Georgia's legal framework, actual practice in the country's higher education system tells a different story. The paper draws on qualitative data obtained from sixteen academics representing diverse institutions and disciplines, as well as the secondary data including educational legislation, government regulations, ministers' decrees, various reports from non‐governmental organisations, think tanks and media archives. The findings of this paper reflect how academic freedom is understood in Georgia and two major threats to its exercise in universities, namely, interference from external politics and internal managerialism. We argue that academic freedom as a concept does not yet have its own place in Georgia's higher education system, protected de jure but with different de facto realities. The paper sheds light on how Soviet legacies of self‐censorship, hidden mechanisms of control and a culture of conformity continue to create tensions inside universities and an environment in which academic freedom cannot flourish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses the inadequacy of the universal approach to academic freedom, which fails to account for the extent to which academic freedom can be exercised. Instead of considering the fixed meaning of academic freedom, the article proposes a relational approach. One that focuses on the relation between academic freedom and the common good, as particular articulations of academic freedom are legitimized through reference to the quasi‐universal concept of the common good. To ground this argument, the article examines different historical meanings of the idea of the common good in the relations between the state and the university sector in Poland, and the effect they had on the content and extent of academic freedom. In doing so, it contributes to the discussion on the cultural and national specificities of both academic freedom and the common good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely recognised that academic freedom and university autonomy in Turkey are currently under pressure. Many scholars have produced articles discussing the Turkish predicament, linking it to the recent authoritarian and populist turn of the country. This paper offers a different interpretation, arguing how academic freedom and institutional autonomy have been approached and practised in Turkey from the past to the present, by focusing mainly on the evolution of the relations between higher education institutions and political power. Understanding how this relationship has been constructed and maintained may help us to grasp the context‐specific university practices restricting academic freedom and university autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to shed light on British academia's response to the coup d'état in Chile in 1973 from a global history approach, arguing that the concern expressed from the academic world transcended the bipolarity of the global context to appeal to a cross‐cutting defence of human rights and university autonomy. To this end, the Judith Hart and the Chilean Solidarity Campaign collections were reviewed in the Labour History Archive in Manchester, in addition to documents from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office at the National Archives. The above bibliography was complemented by secondary source bibliography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the changes in university autonomy policies and their effect on the development of higher education in Vietnam. The research reveals that the Vietnamese government is encountering a dilemma regarding the development of the higher education sector. On the one hand, current policies on university autonomy enhance the development of higher education, particularly through the acquisition of 'work-ready' skills by university graduates in accordance with new courses taught in English as part of the international curriculum, as well as the expansion of new enrolments, which can improve massification of higher education in Vietnam. On the other, however, some policies can deter universities from turning into a research university because tuition fees then become their main source of funding. Recommendations to solve barriers to the development of higher education sectors according to current policies on university autonomy in Vietnam have been mentioned. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A longitudinal qualitative study of undergraduate women nursing students demonstrated the profound and pervasive influence of the heterosexual intimate relationship on their university engagement and achievement. Hitherto, the importance of women's private lives have been underappreciated in the arenas of student equity and retention. The study showed that traditional ideas of gender held within the intimate relationship were highly detrimental to student autonomy and capacity to engage, and that the university's organisation and delivery of the curriculum exacerbated the situation. Participants made personal sacrifices, which, while enabling continuation of their studies, were deleterious to academic achievement and wellbeing. For eight women, this involved separation from their partners. These results have generic implications given the renewed focus on gender equity in higher education. They have specific implications for nurse education, given the rising numbers of mature-age women nurse students, and predicted nursing workforce shortages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their common history, Finland and Sweden share many similarities. However, important differences have also developed in constitutional law, political culture and governance models. These differences have affected the implementation of international trends in the governance of higher education in the two countries. Both the Finnish and Swedish governments have strived to give institutions of higher education more formal autonomy through legislative and constitutional measures while increasing the external representations in their governing boards. However, in Finland, strong constitutional safeguards for university autonomy have counteracted the growth of external influence. The differences between the countries in this regard have their roots in political culture. There is a stronger emphasis on the division of power in Finland, as in other states that have experienced periods of political turmoil, while in Sweden, long dominated by strong social democracy, checks and balances have been considered undemocratic obstacles to the will of the people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing a national university has been widely viewed by smaller developing countries as a means of asserting sovereignty and driving the country's economic, social, and cultural development. This has been particularly true in the South Pacific, despite the existence of the regional University of the South Pacific. Building a national university with the limited financial resources of a small developing country presents numerous challenges. This paper, using a critical ethnographic methodology, examines the lessons from the first ten years (2010–20) of Fiji National University from the perspective of an insider researcher. Some challenges are common to new universities created by merging smaller colleges. Others are more specific to developing countries, including the dependence on public funding and political patronage. Some challenges are more distinctively Pasifika, with cultural values of familial loyalty and respect for elders, sometimes in conflict with 'imported' management practices. The spectre of neo-colonialism is ever present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education institutions and the actors therein are still grappling with disparities in student outcomes and disparate student experiences. Although diligent efforts have been made, institutions have yet to transform in any substantial way to overcome these issues. Rather than offering new student success practices, the focus of this chapter is on how to support those who work to support students. To support the enactment of collective and specific student success commitments, I provide four critical considerations for senior leaders and student success decision‐makers, focused on the necessary institutional conditions for those carrying out student success work. The perspectives presented are largely shaped by discussions of the gaps between research knowledge and theories generated related to student success, perspectives on what happens in practice, the complexities of institutional environments and how they change, and how these constitute, relate to, and mitigate one another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 14 March 2020, an emergency teaching period began. Faculty and students were faced with an unprecedented situation. This survey study shows how higher education students rated this experience and which dimensions were the most important in their assessment. In general, the experience was negative, with the academic dimension being responsible for this assessment. The conclusion brings us back to Bologna and the need to enhance student autonomy. Something that seems to have been forgotten. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we propose to analyze the disciplinary regime of the argentine national universities pertaining to their stable professors in the light of college autonomy. Being said, we will study the normative plexus applicable in the National Constitution Law N°. 24.521, and in particular certain aspects of the norms of the UBA, the UNC, the UNLP and the UNLaM. We warn that the regulation in this material is the exclusive power held by the Universities, and that there are two disciplinary procedures: the administrative procedure and academic judgment and, the origin of one or the other is by virtue of the fault committed and, consequently, of the sanction or legal actions to be taken. Regarding the administrative procedure, we conclude that, in the absence of regulations, Universities could apply the Regulations of Administrative Investigations approved by Decree (PEN) No. 466/99, but with certain nuances and, in relation to academic judgment, it would be necessary for them to adapt their regulations by ensuring the right of defense of the teacher and the disciplinary power of these Institutions. That is, the problem is limited to certain aspects of the disciplinary procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is an assessment of Autonomy and Freedom in managing Nigerian Universities. The study was based on organization theory, which emphasizes that every organization has some level of autonomy and freedom to handle its affairs. The primary data collected through the use of the questionnaire method and standard interview method were analyzed using frequencies and chi-square. The research found that proponents of autonomy are of the view that the call for the government to relinquish autonomy to universities recognize that the right to autonomy is not absolute, but rather conditional on the government's obligation for greater university funding in particular and for determining the goals and broad outlines of higher education in Nigeria in general. The study also discovered that university autonomy craves the indulgence of government to reposition its university agencies to better fulfil their responsibilities by way of assisting to provide adequate funding, well-articulated policies, plans and machinery that would ensure the attainment of university goals and objectives with minimal interference. However, the government must revisit the same law to fully capture financial autonomy, allowing universities to generate funds through a reasonable cost-sharing approach while the government maintains its legitimate role of adequately funding universities to train and retain quality manpower for the country's overall economic and social development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the Colleges of Advanced Technology (CATs), specialist providers of advance science and technology which existed in England and Wales for ten years after the 1956 White Paper Technical Education. Its central argument is that recasting the CATs as broader-based universities following the 1963 Robbins Report was a significant error which attenuated the progress of science and technology, and prevented the Colleges' development as viable providers of higher education (HE) outside the university sector. This decision, it is argued, was shaped by typically English views about the relative value of different forms of learning, the nature and purpose of HE, and particular beliefs about the primacy of the university. It also conflated the general desire to increase participation in higher education with the wish to promote science and technology in particular. A bolder option, it is proposed, would have been to build the CATs up as prestigious institutes of technology, along the lines of those found in the USA and continental Europe – although this, it is recognised, would have entailed a substantial shift in the role of the state and reduced the individual and collective autonomy of HE institutions in England and Wales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

English language proficiency has long been recognised as important to the academic success of non-native English-speaking international students through the setting of minimum English language requirements as a condition of entry to Anglophone universities. The present study provides a historical account of the evolution in language entry standard setting in UK higher education from 1989 to 2021 from supply side, language policy perspectives. The primary minimum language entry policies from a range of micro, meso, and macro actors are contextualised within the broader political ideologies of the time, their rationale explained, and impact on higher education described. The trend of minimum standard setting from institutional self-regulation to government intervention and scrutiny underlies the study. Broadly, three periods of policymaking are delineated: 1) 1989–98, the era of institutional autonomy within a period of small-scale overseas student participation, 2) 1999–2008, the failure of minimum standard self-regulation unleashed by the economic imperative instilled by the Labour Government's Prime Minister Initiatives, and 3) the introduction of government regulation from 2009 in the form of the CEFR B2 minimum standard, 'Highly Trusted Sponsor' status, and Secure English Language Testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic freedom has a special significance for universities within the context of higher education. However, it is fair to say that the concept of academic freedom within the Turkish literature is not well developed either conceptually or methodologically. The purpose of this study is to map the existing research and scholarship on academic freedom in Turkey so as to shed light on what is implied and discussed, and what gaps there are. Sixty-one studies were reviewed by following systematic review steps. Content analysis was used as the research design in the current study. The research reveals that academic freedom was discussed as a global, local, and institutional idea, but that in the main these were conceptual debates rather than debates that were empirically grounded. The paper argues that more empirical studies are needed of academic freedom particularly in the Turkish context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the university autonomy as a fundamental principle of action in Romanian higher education system with examples from the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest (UASVMB). The research is based on four major dimensions proposed by European University Association: staffing autonomy, organizational autonomy, academic autonomy and financial autonomy. The paper employed qualitative analyses of the measurement indicators for each dimension involving a comparative approach at an international level, based on the information collected from 47 countries, in order to underline the current tendencies in relation with the international implementation of university autonomy principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to reveal the main features of the right to aca- demic freedom by analyzing theoretical aspects of this concept, some moments of its historical development, related case law, and the Turkish case. The first chapter considers the relationship between the right to academic freedom and the other human rights, its structure, and its place in legal acts. Then, the paper reveals the practical issues regard- ing the right to academic freedom, taking into account the most significant legal inter- pretations of the concept of academic freedom in the form of legal judgments from U.S. and European courts. More precisely, the case law of the U.S. Supreme Court, European Court of Human Rights, and European Court of Justice is relevant in understanding how both sides of Atlantic Ocean understand the right to academic freedom. The third chapter considers the state of academic freedom in the Republic of Turkey. The case of Bogazici University is considered in an attempt to reveal the restrictive conditions of academic freedom in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article traces the evolution of the Colombian student movement, which derives from Latin American students' feeling for university autonomy. The Colombian student body directs its collective action towards the search for spaces of participation in the decision-making process of the public university, until achieving the implementation of co-governance in the National University of Colombia, the University of Antioquia and the Industrial University of Santander. The Córdoba Manifesto is the road map for understanding the desire of young Colombians to implement new forms of government that will allow them to experience an autonomous, free and democratic university. The implementation of university governance in Colombia, as a consequence of the Cordoba Reform, is the central topic of this article. To this end, in two sections the article allows for reflection on the Cordoba Reform and its influence on the Colombian student movement, which was radicalized in the 1970s. This reflection is obtained after consulting documents and newspapers of the time, as well as recent written historiography, elements that allow us to trace the inflections and the transcendence of the Colombian student movement on a Latin American scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article builds on the ambiguous concept of the autonomy of universities with three historical turns in two dominant types of universities in the world – the Anglo-Saxon and American models, represented by the British and American institutions, and the Continental models, including the recently emerging Chinese University 3.0. Based on empirical data from two comparative case studies with a documentary analysis approach, I investigate the structure of the zhong-yong model of self-mastery, demonstrating how it may differ from the Western models and offering cultural interpretations for these nuances. The article concludes that self-mastery in the Chinese context provides an additional form of autonomy which is rooted in the pragmatic Confucian concept of zhong-yong. It is also found that through the pragmatism of self-mastery, the zhong-yong model enables Chinese universities to directly serve the state and, at the same time, to legitimate the priority given to their development by state power, thus creating abundant space and resources for them to fully unfold their potentialities. With multilayered and multidirectional power relationships, this model of governance has enabled Chinese universities to radically transform themselves in a short period of time and will allow them to eventually become global leaders, although they may have to sacrifice autonomous freedom in some ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China implemented an unprecedented expansion of higher education along with excellence initiatives that propelled more universities into the global rankings. Yet, the international influence of the higher education system pales in comparison to its economy. This paper argues that governance reforms in higher education only partially address the increasingly complex social and geopolitical realities. With more institutional and professional autonomy, universities and the academic research enterprise would be better placed and more inclined to find innovative solutions to urgent problems of domestic and global sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Situated in the broader context of educational aid for Tibet and higher education reform in China, this article examines efforts to develop higher education in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). Based on document analyses, observations and interviews, we interrogate the thoughts and actions of university officials in the TAR when responding to the state's call for the creation of "double first-class" (shuangyiliu 双一流) universities and disciplines. Our study identifies two main strategies adopted by university officials: capitalizing on the plateau's unique geography and China's system of preferential ethnic policies. University administrators hope to use the TAR's unique and strategic location as a springboard for curriculum and research development, while drawing on aid and assistance from the central government and partner universities. We conclude that the future of higher education in the TAR is highly dependent on external assistance and that the region faces an uphill battle in building a truly world-class university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholarship on university autonomy in China's higher education system in the past three decades has focused on the macro-relationship between the party-state and university leadership. This paper focuses instead on university-level management practices and college-level academic autonomy. Drawing on the discourse of "administerization" and "de-administerization" within Chinese academia, we demonstrate how the dual administration system and outdated management practices common in the higher education system limit academic quality and educational autonomy at the college level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on archival material and interviews, the paper argues that the autonomy of Hong Kong's institutions of higher education has varied since 1911, with the colonial state initially exercising tight control and relaxing it especially as the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong approached. China has sought to reassert control especially since 2014 in what continues to be contested space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying grounded theory to 33 expert interviews about the underperformance of higher education in Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and Mexico, this study indicated that the historical tradition of autonomy has fostered weak government control, revealing a host of issues common across these countries in their higher education system. This study complicates the overall hegemonic discourse around academic capitalism departing from strictly neoliberal approaches favoring markets and deregulation for global competition. Instead, participants, who are influential leaders in the sector, favor government intervention that protects university autonomy in order to boost the performance of higher education, not for global competition, but for national development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this text is to review the cases of 25 pre-university graduates from the "telebachillerato comunitario" (community distance-high school), in Morelos State, in order to track their main non-academic learning accomplishments and describe their relevance in terms of agency, within a human development perspective. The method departs from a phenomenological perspective and then engages in a multiple case study with embedded units, according to Yin (2018)'s guidelines. Theoretical approach describes notions of agency and capabilities adapted to education, considering Sen (2019), Nussbaum (2012) and Appadurai (2013), while data analysis uses the thematic codification process proposed by Flick (2017). The conclusions highlight the importance of such learning to develop agency; they also provide a prospective view in order to further enhance the benefits of this high school educational service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the results of research conducted with students of the career of Educational Intervention in the National Pedagogical University in Morelos. Its objective was to form competences for the self-regulation of apprenticeship learning and strengthen the students' autonomy in the learning processes, as well as theoretically generating and sustaining a system of psycho-pedagogical actions that mediate the development of self-regulation in the context of their professional training. The study is based on the historical-cultural approach and other theoretical conceptions that explain the self-regulation of learning and the formation of autonomous learners. It was carried out through the qualitative research approach and its methodological design articulates the principles of the genetic method and participatory action research. The results guarantee the relevance of educational processes and psychopedagogical mediation actions in the development of autonomy and self-regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomisation, allowing public organisations greater freedom from central control, has been extensively debated in the public policy literature as a means of increasing their efficiency and effectiveness. The government of Vietnam has adopted autonomisation as a key policy in reforming public service delivery. This paper investigates the autonomisation of Vietnamese public universities through an institutional study of autonomy policies and empirical analysis of autonomy practices amongst selected public universities in Vietnam. It pays particular attention to the evolution of the autonomy reforms and their implications for higher education governance in Vietnam. We argue that the autonomy of Vietnamese public universities is apparently growing, but does not reflect a broad transfer of power from the central state to public universities. Instead, autonomisation has a more limited objective of reducing public universities' claims on the central budget by presenting them with both the opportunity and the incentive to generate alternative sources of revenue to fund their operating budgets in the face of diminishing state subsidies. Many significant central controls remain over operations, particularly human resources and curricula. The result has been a significant shift of the costs of higher education onto students, which may be a factor in declining new enrolments, and in many cases the misuse of university revenues for private purposes, but little evidence of improvement in the quality of the education provided. Although it is a study of a specific instance of autonomisation in Vietnam, the paper has policy implications for developing and transitional countries that seek to improve the quality of their higher education through reforms to its governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a faculty dean, I was constantly surprised over the years by the number of female academics who expressed reluctance to do my job. Why were they so reluctant? Why did they cite intense argument and personal criticism as significant deterrents? Focusing specifically on academic argument, and the crucial role of autonomy in academe, this paper will identify and explore two discursive orientations often found in university culture today that have the potential to limit autonomy. It is argued that their presence creates a peculiarly challenging environment for female academic leaders. Drawing on relevant philosophical literature and my own personal experience as a member of senior academic administration, the paper will examine the nature of the challenges entailed and the insights it may provide into females' reluctance to become academic leaders. Challenges notwithstanding, it is hoped that the personal perspective brought to bear on the discussion will encourage female academics to see beyond potential barriers and to pursue leadership as a realistic, worthy option in their professional lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the degree of organizational autonomy of Greek universities, during the period of the implementation of Law 4009/11, is attempted. The necessity of such a study is very important and fruitful for the Greek universities, since in the period of the last research (2017) of the European Union Association (EUA) concerning university autonomy, Greece did not provide the required data to EUA and was not included in the countries studied. Sources regarding the measurement of the degree of university autonomy in Greece were based on the methodology and results that emerged from the EUA researches (2007 & 2017), as well as on the review of the literature and analysis of the data that emerged from the legislation applied by the universities in Greece, during the corresponding period. The quantification of organizational autonomy provided the score and rank of Greek universities relative to other European universities, which is found to be quite low. Therefore, we make proposals for a realistic, for Greek data, increase in organizational autonomy. The aim is to upgrade the services provided by institutions and to respond to the modern requirements of a globalized society and market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Further education policy across the UK has diverged significantly over the last decade. While in both countries colleges have been subject to a programme of restructuring and rationalisation, Scotland now has a largely 'nationalised' sector while England has adopted a more market-led approach which has been characterised in some quarters as a 'free for all'. However, there are some signs that England is starting to turn away from this stance and it is, therefore, instructive to examine the influence of policy on the Scottish sector, particularly as England embarks on a programme of devolution to the regions. This paper draws on policy documents and interviews with key policy actors to examine the 'Scottish Approach' to policy and the effects of this on the performance of the sector. While this has undoubtedly resulted in a more coherent system it is argued that colleges have paid a price for this, foregoing much of their previous autonomy. Moreover, it is not clear that the approach has addressed the 'skills gap' as currently perceived. It is concluded that much can be learned by greater engagement across the border, informed by a clearer understanding of how policy contexts impact on the leadership and governance of colleges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the politicisation of universities-within-the-state, the state's governance of higher education in China differentiates itself from other countries. This study examines how the Chinese central government adjusts its governance over universities between 1978 and 2018. Based on an extensive analysis of policy documents and scholarly research, this study proposes an analytic framework, comprising the state's governance logics, governance instruments, and institutional demonstrations. The three strategically selected governance instruments, i.e. laws, policies, and finance, are demonstrated through various aspects integral to China's higher education—the dual-goverance structure, appointment of the principal leadership, access to higher education, university and discipline structures, curriculum and ideology, funding and grants, and tuition fees. Based on an in-depth investigation, the study argues that the underlying governance logics of the state are moving from direct controls to indirect supervision; however, despite the increasing university autonomy and academic freedom in some areas, the state has never abdicated the essential power and authority over higher education institutions. This paper contributes to the theoretical and practical understanding of China's governance of higher education in recent decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Academic Freedom in Constitutions dataset is a new resource that empirically maps constitutional guarantees of the freedom of science, of academic freedom, and of university autonomy in 203 countries, spanning the period from 1789 to 2022. While the topic of academic freedom has been gaining increasing prominence in political and legal research over the past decade, it is so far largely absent from the comparative constitutional literature. However, its global codification process holds interesting insights for the study of international norm diffusion, both with respect to its functional connection to higher education development and its distinct constitutional genealogies. The paper first introduces the dataset and explains how it is different from previous coding efforts, before discussing its significance and potential contributions to the comparative legal literature, political science, and other research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial to the journal is presented which discusses participation of professors in scientific, technical and academic publication systems of the University of Havana dedicated to disseminate different topics related to the field of Architecture and urbanism. The article also focuses on constant challenges in renewal of publishing group standards, identity and autonomy of the university.

Are autonomous universities required by law to adhere to the standards for the public rendering of accounts, transparency, outside evaluation, and internal control as implemented by the Mexican government through norms and institutions? This article addresses the topic in order to identify the main points of inflection in the relationship between the government and autonomous universities during the current and past centuries. Before offering a novel response to the initial question, the article seeks to reflect on the changing perspective of the institutions and agents involved in the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article thoroughly examines the historical development of the concept of "University autonomy" that has been drawn from the jurisprudence and case law of the Constitutional Court of Colombia since it commenced operations in 1992. It aims is to identify the core elements of University Autonomy, as well as its scope and range. This analysis will be useful to offer a comprehensive understanding of how the Constitutional Court of Colombia has shaped and developed this concept that underlies the educational system as a whole, but is explicitly applicable to all the local universities, regardless of their public or private nature. To this end, we collected and analyzed close to one hundred (100) court rulings, from the year 1992 to 2018, regarding the specific topic of University Autonomy. Said rulings were reviewed and systematized, extracting the relevant legal precedents applicable to several disciplinary, civil, and constitutional legal cases that derive from our topic of inquiry. These included constitutional rulings, actions of guardianship (legal mechanism listed in the Colombian Constitution to purvey swift justice regarding basic human rights), as well as rulings that unify jurisprudence. The rulings above have been standardized according to their corresponding constitutional scenarios, and the high frequency of quotations present among and between them. These results can be consulted in the annexes of this paper (see annex 1 , annex 2 and annex 3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to determine the degree of the independence of Saudi universities in light of the American experience and the aspirations of the Kingdom's vision 2030 by introducing the concepts and perspectives of the Kingdom's vision 2030, analyzing the reality of interest in the development of higher education, analyzing the reality of independence of the USA universities, determining the degree of the Saudi universities (Administrative, Financial, and Academic), and providing some suggestions to achieve this independence. The descriptive approach was used in the study using questionnaires (including 39 items) which have been directed to the university's leaders and academicians in three Saudi universities as follow: Kind Saud University in Riyadh, King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, and King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran. The study population was (15801) leaders and academicians with a sample size of (375) respondents. The study resulted in a number of results as follows: • The university leaders and academicians are agreed with a moderate level on the independence of the Saudi universities in light of the American university and aspirations of the Kingdom's vision 2030. • The study raked the three dimensions of independence descending as the following: Academic dimension, then Administrative dimension, and finally the Financial dimension. • The university leaders and academicians are agreed on the administrative and financial independence of the Saudi universities in light of the American experience in a moderate level, while they are strongly agreed on the academic independence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the digital dimension permeates the daily activity of many professions, with all that this entails, in terms of advantages, disadvantages and challenges. The academic world is not immune to these new technological, political and social conditions and new instigations and situations emerge, which need to be studied. This article seeks to answer the following research question: Is the academic profession undergoing a process of increasing proletarianisation, which is influenced by the new universities' mission (in a broad way), in the sense of unprofessionalisation, or are there new conditions for academics' re-professionalisation experienced as a challenge? A meta-analysis of publications that focus directly on this topic was conducted through a conceptual analysis of the most recent literature addressing this topic. It is concluded that, in general, and notwithstanding institutional, local, regional, national and international specificities, there is some degree of academic's unprofessionalisation resulting from an increase in the functions ascribed to him/her by the political dimension that, in a context of increasing instability and control of his/her activity through the quantity and intensity of the functions to be conducted, may call into question academic autonomy, a basic foundation of the University. However, and concurrently, there is a new context which could, under certain conditions, foster the enormous challenge of re-professionalisation. As an implication of this work, there is a need to rethink this situation, which, if continued and deepened, will threaten the academic profession in some of its central dimensions, which may jeopardise the future sustainable development of our societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]