This special issue of Higher Education Management and Policy features seven articles on entrepreneurship in universities.

Includes articles on engagement of universities in regional development, innovation and regional development, and case studies from the US, Lapland, North East England, Australia, and Finland.

Today as never before, it is imperative that university managers possess the knowledge and the competencies necessary for leading modern higher education institutions. Professional management enables higher education institutions to cooperate more effectively with partners ranging from local businesses to international enterprises and other stakeholders. As higher education institutions grow larger and extend their reach into new areas and the functions demanded of them multiply, academic administration and management become increasingly complex, thus, the need for skilled management and administrative personnel becomes more acute. This book emerged as the product of the European Higher Education Management and Development (EHEMD) project, a European multilateral curriculum development project under the coordination of the Danube University Krems and funded by the European Union in the framework of the Erasmus Lifelong Learning Programme. Focusing not only on theoretical points of view, but also on their practical applications as demonstrated in the accompanying case studies, the publication covers the key aspects of modern university management. The booklet is structured so that each chapter presents a particular aspect and application of university management and the entire volume reflects the core contents of the EHEMD curriculum. Can higher education management be taught? While we confidently say “yes!”, the answer needs some qualification. The “yes” applies because higher education management is no different from any other subject in the social sciences. The qualification is that a sound pedagogical philosophy and structure need to underpin such a programme. The fundamentals of the EHEMD programme are that it is interdisciplinary, that it is practice-oriented and that students learn from each other and also learn independently. With a strong emphasis on Central, Southern and Eastern Europe, this book addresses management challenges in higher education today and in the near future.

Known as either ‘soft’ or ‘hard’ ‘managerialism’, ‘new managerialism’ or ‘new public management’, this new narrative has, irrespective of moniker, permeated the institutions of higher education almost everywhere. Taking this as its context, this volume is founded on a comprehensive international comparative analysis of the evolving role of middle-level academic managers—deans, heads of department and their equivalents. The chapters address key questions that will determine the future of academe: have the imperatives of management theory caused a realignment of the values and expectations of middle-level academic managers? In what way do the new expectations placed on this group shape the academic profession as a whole? And, whose interests do middle-level academic managers represent? Based on material presented at one of the high-level Douro Seminars on research into tertiary education, this volume systematically combines theoretical views with empirical analysis. It argues that ‘managerialist’ pressure has resulted in changes in the way academic performance is measured. There has been a shift in criteria away from research reputation, teaching and scholarship to the measurement of performance based upon management capacities. This has given middle-level academic managers a pivotal role halfway between the predilections of high-level decision makers and the maintenance of academic values and control. The enhanced expectations and more defined functions of middle-level academic managers are in clear contrast to earlier times, when the position was considered a public-spirited rite of passage for career-minded academics. Despite this, the contributors to this book believe that the middle-level managers in the ten countries examined are neither corporate lackeys nor champions of academe. It is becoming increasingly clear that the ability of organisations to achieve their aims is largely dependent on the skill and dedication of middle managers. Past studies of organisational dynamics have been preoccupied with the executive level of management. This text, which will be of great interest to researchers and policy makers alike, attempts to redress the balance.

This ground-breaking Handbook examines the evolution of university autonomy and governance by tracking the changing relationship between higher education institutions and the state. Through unique historical analyses, contributors provide important insights into the position of students, academics, and universities in today’s society and map potential future directions of travel for the sector.

One of the key elements in determining the socio-economic significance of education is quality. Quality management plays an integral role in higher education by ensuring that quality benchmarks are being met, thereby attributing to its prestige, increased enrollment, and student success. Quality management policies must be successfully implemented for the institution to thrive. With quality management still in the growing stage, research is needed regarding the applications, challenges, and benefits of these policies within advanced academics. Quality Management Principles and Policies in Higher Education provides emerging research exploring the theoretical aspects of quality management policies and applications within the educational field. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as faculty involvement, administration practices, and critical success factors, this book is ideally designed for educators, administrators, educational consultants, researchers, policymakers, stakeholders, deans, provosts, chancellors, academicians, and students seeking current research on successfully implementing quality management systems in teaching, learning, and administrative processes.

Research into higher education has blossomed internationally during the last few decades, as participation in higher education has expanded and concern over delivering it effectively has increased. Higher Education Research offers an overview of what we have learnt through researching different aspects of higher education. Leading academic in the field Malcolm Tight codifies and classifies all research on higher education, offering an accessible but comprehensive guide to the field and its scope. Topics covered include: Teaching and learning Course and design Student experience Quality System policy Institutional management Academic work Knowledge and research Tight discusses the work of key researchers, and explores the varied use of methodologies, theoretical frameworks and research designs. He also identifies topics and areas where further research is needed.

Education Policy Analysis 2005-2006 includes articles on achieving quality, equity and efficiency in higher education; the growing international market in higher education; valuing teachers; formative assessment and gender differences and mathematics: performance.

Vietnam is a dynamic member of the community of Southeast Asian nations. Consistent with aspirations across the region, it is seeking to develop its higher education system as rapidly as possible. Vietnam’s approach stands out, however, as being extremely ambitious. Indeed, it may be at risk of attempting to do too much too quickly. By 2020, for example, Vietnam expects its higher education system to be advanced by modern standards and highly competitive in international terms. This vision faces many challenges. The economy, though growing rapidly, remains reliant on the availability of unskilled labour and the exploitation of natural resources, and decision making in many areas of public life continues to be hamstrung by a legacy of over-regulation and centralised control. A large number of goals and objectives have been set for reform of the higher education system by 2020. The success of these reforms will have a major bearing on the future quality of the system. This sober assessment Vietnam’s global competitiveness forms a backdrop to the subject matter of this book, that is, the state of Vietnam’s higher education system. The book provides a comprehensive and scholarly review of various dimensions of the higher education system in Vietnam, including its recent history, its structure and governance, its teaching and learning culture, its research and research commercialisation environment, its socio-economic impact, its strategic planning processes, its progress with quality accreditation, and its experience of internationalisation and privatisation.