Legislation in the 1970s, 1990s and 2003 made major changes to the status and operations of Danish universities and the role they should play in creating different imaginaries of Denmark and its place in the world. In the education literature, 'institutional autonomy' is key indicator of shifts in the idea and role of the university but this was…

This paper examines how mounting pressures are reshaping academic freedom (AF) and the professoriate in contemporary higher education, with particular focus on the Canadian university context. Through qualitative interviews conducted between 2009-2011 with tenured faculty from two Southern Ontario universities, the study investigates how fiscal…

In the Indian higher education (HE) setting, what 'academic freedom' of students and faculty members constitutes has not been discussed in detail. As a result, many faculty members and students have discerned 'academic freedom' as freedom from external control and influence. It is noticed that faculty members and students are often misinterpreting…

The aim of this article is to survey and interrogate the university sector of the world ranked by international rankings critically as to the sector's pursuit of the sustainable development goals. Universities have a unique and indispensable role to play in the pursuit of the lofty objective of the sustainable development goals. However, when…

Theoretical literature on institutions emphasizes the importance of logics -- shared rationalizations -- in determining many aspects of organizations. In this literature, universities are often discussed as an example of an institution with a particularly strong and cohesive logic, one rooted in notions of academic excellence and the pursuit of…

This brief essay departs from the ascertainment that, according to official agencies and epidemiologists, the COVID-19 pandemic was preventable, to outline the current research regime in so-called 'knowledge societies'. It argues that the state and business control of universities, which in Europe has been particularly promoted by the EU, as well…

This paper retraces the evolution of the relationships between higher education institutions, the state and the academic profession in France since the French Revolution on the one hand and the parallel evolution of the societal expectations for their roles and missions, on the other. It in particular highlights the divide between the universities…

This article discusses the University as an institution in three parts, moving from the abstract to the concrete. The first and longest section begins with the University as a social form or type: what it is, its inner motors, what holds it together; and its outer drivers, what holds it in society. The second section remarks on tendencies in the…

The corollary of the concept of the "ivory tower", as reflected in the writings of Plato and Newman amongst others, was, paradoxically, the vital importance of the university for wider society. Nevertheless from the mid-twentieth century, the esteem in which a "liberal" university education was held was diminished by rising…

Forged in different academic and national traditions, the university is arriving at a common entrepreneurial format that incorporates and transcends its traditional missions. The academic entrepreneurial transition arises from the confluence of the internal development of higher education institutions and external influences on academic structures…

During the first decade of the 21st century, Latin America experienced an intense economic growth that increased access in the school system. In this context, the paper analyzes four different programs from Bolivia (Intercultural Community Indigenous Universities), Brazil (Quotas´ Law), Chile (Follow up and Effective Access to Higher Education…

Neo-liberal capitalism is a representation of values that are detrimental to intellectual inquiry. Market deregulation and consumer choice are relentless in their erosion of academic autonomy and traditions of independent scholarship. Education as a 'positional good' may be weakened more in the post-1992 higher education sector, where…

The Committee of Vice-chancellors and Principals (CVCP) was a leading collective body for British universities for most of the twentieth century, yet there has been very little historical study of its organisation and work. Brief references tend to be dismissive of its effectiveness, although some authors have been more favourable. This article…

A growing chorus of critics--legislators, governors, alumni, students, parents, trustees, and others--is pressuring colleges to increase "accountability" and "transparency." The critics want colleges to measure whether they are actually achieving their core missions, especially educating undergraduates, and to give people the facts about what they…

This article investigates the movement of theological education away from diocesan controlled theological colleges in the Anglican Church of Australia into the mainstream curriculum of public universities. Particular reference is made to the establishment of Theology as an area of study at The University of Newcastle. Other models of theological…