Published in 2004, this book discusses whether the rhetoric of the market in higher education is matched by the realities of choice. In the first comprehensive study of higher education markets and sixth form choice, Lesley Pugsley argues that the annual burst of media-fuelled panic about university entrance leads to a misinformed rhetoric about the purpose and value of higher education. This is a benchmark study based on the 1997 cohort of students, who were last to enter higher education under the ‘Robbins 1963’ banner of free education. Tracking a group of students throughout their sixth form careers, Pugsley provides a balanced account of the tensions experiences by the students, their parents and their teachers in an increasingly market-orientated higher education society. This book was originally published as part of the Cardiff Papers in Qualitative Research series edited by Paul Atkinson, Sara Delamont and Amanda Coffey. The series publishes original sociological research that reflects the tradition of qualitative and ethnographic inquiry developed at Cardiff. The series includes monographs reporting on empirical research, edited collections focussing on particular themes, and texts discussing methodological developments and issues.

More than ever, we need our universities to be engines of change and social justice. Universities can play a major role in making this complex and changing world a better place, helping economies and societies to adapt and respond to the grand challenges we face, from tackling climate change to harnessing artificial intelligence. This is their mission and their challenge. If universities are to remain true to their higher purpose, they must also find a higher gear. Ed Byrne and Charles Clarke show how transforming universities can change the world.

'Hilarious' Mail on Sunday 'Stylish, very funny memoir' Daily Mail Timothy Bentinck has played the part of David Archer in BBC Radio 4's The Archers since 1982. He is also the Earl of Portland and the voice of 'Mind The Gap' on the Piccadilly Line. Aimed primarily at the five million regular Archers listeners, Timothy takes the reader behind the scenes of the longest running drama series in the world, a British institution with a theme tune that Billy Connolly wants to be the National Anthem. But that's not all. With wry, self-deprecating humour, Timothy recounts his enormously varied life - a successful actor in TV, film and theatre, a voice specialist working in every vocal medium. He's also been an HGV truck driver, a US tour guide, a computer programmer and website designer, an inventor with UK and US patents, farm worker, house renovator and he sat as a crossbencher in the House of Lords for three years. Unlike many acting memoirs, this isn't a succession of thespian tales of freezing digs, forgotten lines and name dropping. This is an articulate, funny and thoughtful account of how to survive an insecure life.

Celebrate 60 years of Britain's longest-running quiz show. Since 1962, University Challenge has brought TV viewing the most taxing questions on television. Now you can relive some of its most gripping moments, as well as test you and your family's own quizzing ability, with this unique quizbook. - Over 3,000 questions, including complete sets of questions from iconic episodes. - 'Where are they now?' features that reveal what notable contestants went on to achieve. - Interviews with question setters, famous contestants and producers - An entry quiz that contestants face so you can see if you've got what it takes to be on the show. With over 400 pages of trivia, behind-the-scenes detail and a raft of questions to test your knowledge, this is the ultimate gift for any University Challenge viewer.

British education is recognized worldwide for its excellent academic standards and tradition of welcoming overseas students. This annual publication is the ideal reference for families relocating to the UK, or who would like their child to attend a boarding school there. It provides the detailed information parents need to make a fully informed choice, including: * Extensive indices for over 2,000 schools, classified by county, religious * affiliation, sex, provision for dyslexia plus details of specialist schools; * School fee planning, plus details of scholarships, bursaries and other awards; GCSEs, A Levels, Scottish examinations, GNVQs and the International Baccalaureate Guidance. The guide also includes a parent's guide to the sixth form and beyond, including university entry and careers, detailed profiles of over 200 schools and colleges and useful addresses and associations.

The 1998 White Paper 'Our competitive future: building the knowledge based economy' (CM 4176 ISBN 0101417624) proposed a ten year programme to enable the UK to close the productivity gap by exploiting the potential benefits of a modern knowledge driven economy. More than six years on, this report is a review of the progress that has been made. The topics covered include: UK performance since 1998; the development of new products, processes and services; science and knowledge research bases; knowledge transfer and exploitation; information and communication technologies, competition from low-cost economies. One of the conclusions is that although the UK's science and knowledge research bases and businesses are collaborating more frequently, the performance in knowledge exploitation has been disappointing and the relative position of the UK against the rest of the G7 has remained unchanged. Another conclusion is that although there is some evidence that outsourcing abroad can be beneficial, the Government should keep the trend under review in case there are strategic loses.

This book examines the extent to which social media marketing influences the customer-based brand equity of higher education institutes. Higher education institutions operate in a strong competitive environment due to the homogenous nature of their services and always look for new marketing strategies to be competitive in the marketplace. Therefore, building customer-based brand equity has become crucial for higher education institutions to differentiate themselves from others to attract prospective students. Social media-based marketing facilitated prospective students to communicate and collaborate to gather information relevant to higher education institutions and their respective brand equity. However, many models on customer-based brand equity received limited support in the higher education sector, particularly in emerging Asian countries. As such, drawing from social information processing theory, this book empirically investigates how higher education institutions can develop customer-based brand equity by using social media marketing and subjective norms mediated by brand credibility, taking cross-country comparisons between Sri Lanka and Vietnam. The book goes on to examine the applications and implications of the findings for higher education institutions in developing branding strategies through social media.

How to Recruit and Retain Higher Education Students is an invaluable resource for academic staff, administrators and policy makers involved in student recruitment and improving student retention. It offers practical advice on how universities can influence the expectations of prospective students, allowing them to make sensible decisions about careers, courses and institutions. Many surveys of students who drop out of university show that most do so out of disappointment. Failing to understand what higher education was about quickly enough, they become confused and frustrated. Dropping out seems the best solution. This book describes a series of practices proven to encourage students to stay on, discussing the background research on student attrition. By preparing students better for their higher education experience, the practices in this book are effective not only in recruiting students but also in matching them to the right institutions and programmes. The practices described range from those reaching out in a broad way to communities of potential students, to university support for pre-entry examinations, to enhanced communication between institutions and applicants. All are described in sufficient detail to allow judgments to be made about how to use and adapt them to suit local needs. How to Recruit and Retain Higher Education Students provides a sound theoretical foundation for research into student retention and provides the necessary underpinning for those academic staff embarking on courses and assists in preparing them for their roles in both teaching and student support.

First published in 1952, the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (anthropology, economics, political science, and sociology) is well established as a major bibliographic reference for students, researchers and librarians in the social sciences worldwide. Key features: * Authority: Rigorous standards are applied to make the IBSS the most authoritative selective bibliography ever produced. Articles and books are selected on merit by some of the world's most expert librarians and academics. * Breadth: Today the IBSS covers over 2000 journals - more than any other comparable resource. The latest monograph publications are also included. * International Coverage: The IBSS reviews scholarship published in over thirty languages, including publications from Eastern Europe and the developing world. * User friendly organization: all non-English titles are word sections. Extensive author, subject and place name indexes are provided in both English and French.

Do you have a concept for a reality TV show, but aren't sure about the next steps? Loaded with practical, step-by-step advice on the art and business of reality TV producing, and featuring insights from Mark Burnett, Dick Clark, and other top producers, Reality Check takes you from idea to...reality! At age 13, Michael Essany launched a lowly cable access TV talk show from his parents' basement in Valparaiso, Indiana. Fast forward to 2001, and Michael had turned his little talk show, The Michael Essany Show, into a multimillion-dollar project that quickly became one of the most talked about reality television shows. If Michael can do it, so can you. But be prepared for a lot of hard work and a few reality checks. This book includes compelling advice on how to: * Better understand the nature, complexities, and potential of the reality genre * Physically produce original reality programming * Get past the gatekeepers and deliver quality pitches to major networks and production companies * Legally protect yourself, your work, and your intellectual property * Learn from glories and the gaffes of those who toiled before you * Utilize the internet and other multimedia outlets to create and generate revenue from reality programming * Avoid the professional pitfalls of the reality TV industry * Parlay reality television projects into a successful and enduring career