Higher Education in Critical Perspective: Practices and Policies

Universities have been subjected to continuous government reforms since the 1980s, to make them entrepreneurial , efficient and aligned to the predicted needs and challenges of a global knowledge economy. Under increasing pressure to pursue excellence and innovation , many universities are struggling to maintain their traditional mission to be inclusive, improve social mobility and equality and act as the critic and conscience of society. Drawing on a multi-disciplinary research project, University Reform, Globalisation and Europeanisation (URGE), this collection analyses the new landscapes of public universities emerging across Europe and the Asia-Pacific, and the different ways that academics are engaging with them.