This open access book presents the major outcomes of the fourth edition of the Future of Higher Education – Bologna Process Researchers Conference (FOHE-BPRC 4) which was held in January 2020 and which has already established itself as a landmark in the European higher education environment. The conference is part of the official calendar of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) for events that promote and sustain the development of EHEA. The conference provides a unique forum for dialogue between researchers, experts and policy makers in the field of higher education, all of which is documented in this proceedings volume. The book focuses on the following five sub-themes: - Furthering the Internationalization of Higher Education: Particular - Challenges in the EHEA - Access and Success for Every Learner in Higher Education - Advancing Learning and Teaching in the EHEA: Innovation and Links With Research - The Future of the EHEA - Principles, Challenges and Ways Forward - Bologna Process in the Global Higher Education Arena. Going Digital? While acknowledging the efforts and achievements so far at EHEA level, the Paris Ministerial Communiqué highlights the need to intensify crossdisciplinary and cross-border cooperation. One of the ways to achieve this objective is to develop more efficient peer-learning activities, involving policymakers and other stakeholders from as many member states as possible for which this book provides a platform. It acknowledges the importance of a continued dialogue between researchers and decisionmakers and benefits from the experience already acquired, this way enabling the higher education community to bring its input into the 2020. European Higher Education Area (EHEA) priorities for 2020 onwards. European Higher Education Area: Challenges for a New Decade marks 21 years of Bologna Process and 10 years of EHEA and brings together an unique collection of contributions that not only reflect on all that has been achieved in these years, but more importantly, shape directions for the future. This book is published under an open access CC BY license.

Bridging the gap between higher education research and policy making was always a challenge, but the recent calls for more evidence-based policies have opened a window of unprecedented opportunity for researchers to bring more contributions to shaping the future of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Encouraged by the success of the 2011 first edition, Romania and Armenia have organised a 2nd edition of the Future of Higher Education – Bologna Process Researchers’ Conference (FOHE-BPRC) in November 2014, with the support of the Italian Presidency of the European Union and as part of the official EHEA agenda. Reuniting over 170 researchers from more than 30 countries, the event was a forum to debate the trends and challenges faced by higher education today and look at the future of European cooperation in higher education. The research volumes offer unique insights regarding the state of affairs of European higher education and research, as well as forward-looking policy proposals. More than 50 articles focus on essential themes in higher education: Internationalization of higher education; Financing and governance; Excellence and the diversification of missions; Teaching, learning and student engagement; Equity and the social dimension of higher education; Education, research and innovation; Quality assurance, The impacts of the Bologna Process on the EHEA and beyond and Evidence-based policies in higher education. "The Bologna process was launched at a time of great optimism about the future of the European project – to which, of course, the reform of higher education across the continent has made a major contribution. Today, for the present, that optimism has faded as economic troubles have accumulated in the Euro-zone, political tensions have been increased on issues such as immigration and armed conflict has broken out in Ukraine. There is clearly a risk that, against this troubled background, the Bologna process itself may falter. There are already signs that it has been downgraded in some countries with evidence of political withdrawal. All the more reason for the voice of higher education researchers to be heard. Since the first conference they have established themselves as powerful stakeholders in the development of the EHEA, who are helping to maintain the momentum of the Bologna process. Their pivotal role has been strengthened by the second Bucharest conference." Peter Scott, Institute of Education, London (General Rapporteur of the FOHE-BPRC first edition)

This innovative Research Agenda critically reflects on the state of the art and offers inspiration for future higher education research across a variety of geographical, disciplinary and theoretical perspectives. It explores the impact of Covid-19, and the need to re-engage with the Global South and reconsider conventional paradigms and assumptions. Leading international contributors address a set of salient issues, ranging from research on macro-level themes to meso and micro-level phenomena.

This book examines the pros and cons of the internationalization of higher education institutions, which is an important feature of modern universities. It makes a significant contribution to our understanding of universities and an important input to the assessment of the internationalization of higher education institutions both for regulators and for the universities themselves. The book’s three parts focus on a number of issues associated with internationalization. The first part – Perspectives on Internationalization – provides critical reflections on internationalization, on the globally distributed European-American university and on the impact of rankings. The second part – The Obstacles to Internationalization – deals with the significance of language, challenges of mobility and environment concerns. The third part – Alternative Modes of Internationalization – discusses internationalization at home, international distance education and the establishment of international branch campuses.

This open access book offers unique and novel views on the social innovation landscape, tools, practices, pedagogies, and research in the context of higher education. International, multi-disciplinary academics and industry leaders present new developments, research evidence, and practice expertise on social innovation in higher education institutions (HEIs), across academic and professional disciplines. The book includes a selected set of peer-reviewed chapters presenting different perspectives against which relevant actors can identify and analyse social innovation in HEIs. The volume demonstrates how HEIs can respond to societal challenges, support positive social change, and contribute to the development of international public policy discourse. It answers the question ‘how does the present higher education system, in different countries, promote social innovation and create social change and impact’. In answering this question, the book identifies factors driving success as well as obstacles. Furthermore, it examines how higher education innovation assists societal challenges and investigates the benefits of effective social innovation engagement by HEIs. The interdisciplinary approach of the volume makes it a must-read for scholars, students, policy-makers, and practitioners of economics, education, business and management, political science, and sociology interested in a better understanding of social innovation.

How can public university systems leverage their scale to increase intercampus collaboration and better educational outcomes? American public higher education systems include the largest and most impactful colleges and universities in the nation, including 75 percent of the nation's public sector students. While their impact is enormous, they are largely neglected as an area of study and underutilized as an instrument for the improvement of postsecondary outcomes. Meanwhile, most states continue to struggle to reach their goals for higher education attainment, social and economic mobility, workforce development, equitable access and affordability, technological innovation, and human and environmental health. Through a series of essays written by academic experts and senior practitioners, Public University Systems argues that higher education can act as a powerful tool for making progress on societal goals by leveraging their unique scale. These systems can increase intercampus collaboration in areas such as academic programs, collective bargaining, accreditation, student finance, governance, process improvement, change management, voluntary coalitions, and leadership. By shedding light on their unique ability to leverage scale, contributors argue that these systems merit more attention from scholars and increased use by policymakers, board members, and system leaders seeking to achieve real progress toward state and national higher education goals. Covering the structure and function of university systems, new models, and methods for leading these systems, these essays provide a blueprint for how higher education leaders can leverage the scale of these enormous systems to achieve their missions and improve outcomes for their schools and students. Contributors: George Blumenthal, Wallace Boston, Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld, Tristan Denley, Robert C. Dickeson, Peter T. Ewell, Pamela Felder-Small, Darren Greeno, Mark Hagerott, Ronald Heifetz, Dennis Jones, Daniel J. Julius, Jasmine Kaduthodil, Jason Lane, Paul Lingenfelter, Rebecca Martin, Aims McGuinness, Demarée K. Michelau, Steven Jude Patin, Kevin P. Reilly, Jessica Schueller, Khaleel Seecharan, Allison M. Vaillancourt, Nancy L. Zimpher

This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License. It is free to read, download and share on Elgaronline.com. Despite the broad engagement of higher education institutions in most social sectors, limited thinking and hyper-individualistic approaches have dominated discussions of their value to society. Advocating a more rigorous and comprehensive approach, this insightful book discusses the broad range of contributions made by higher education and the many issues entailed in theorising, observing, measuring and evaluating those contributions.

EPDF and EPUB available Open Access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. Amid debates about the future of both higher education and Europeanisation, this book is the first full-length exploration of how Europe’s 35 million students are understood by key social actors across different nations. The various chapters compare and contrast conceptualisations in six nations, held by policymakers, higher education staff, media and students themselves. With an emphasis on students’ lived experiences, the authors provide new perspectives about how students are understood, and the extent to which European higher education is homogenising. They explore various prominent constructions of students – including as citizens, enthusiastic learners, future workers and objects of criticism.

Offering insights into the adaptational strategies that were employed by higher education institutions worldwide during the Covid-19 pandemic, this volume considers the lasting effects of adaptation and change, as well as the perception of universities’ role in society and desired ways of operating. Nearly overnight, the pandemic forced university leaders and faculty across the world to switch to remote models, not only of teaching and learning but also of managing an entire institution. This book recognizes how the scale of challenges as well as the range of measures specific universities had to undertake was uneven, with some being better equipped than the others. Using a selection of international case studies, it offers an insight into strategies employed by institutions worldwide to navigate the crisis, and highlights the targets and objectives addressed by them during these processes. In so doing, it offers invaluable lessons for the years to come. An indispensable study into strategies that result in resilience and sustainability for universities, this book is essential reading for scholars of education, pedagogy, and organizational change in the higher education sector, as well as educational leaders around the world.

There is increasing interest in the use of learning outcomes in postsecondary education, and deliberations have surfaced with regard to their potential to serve as a tool for advancing credit transfer. Learning Outcomes, Academic Credit, and Student Mobility assesses the conceptual foundations, assumptions, and implications of using learning outcomes for the purposes of postsecondary credit transfer and student mobility. Through a critical review of current approaches to the use of learning outcomes across national and international jurisdictions, scholars and practitioners in postsecondary education provide a multivalent examination of their potential impacts in the unique context of Ontario and recommend future directions for the system. The collected works are the culmination of a multi-year study entitled Learning Outcomes for Transfer, funded by the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer. Contributions are authored by prominent international scholars across countries with significant outcomes-based experience and education reforms (South Africa, the United States, Australia, Europe, and the United Kingdom) and an Ontario research consortium comprising college and university experts working to advance student pathways.