Drawing on 45 semi-structured interviews conducted in four public universities as part of an international comparative project, we examine the cultural, political, social and economic forces at play in the way the 'public good' is perceived, translated and debated within the French higher education context. Our findings indicate that a variety of…

This article contributes to conceptualisations of public engagement as part of academic practice in higher education. It uses Hannah Arendt's idea of action in the public sphere, which is underpinned by the belief that all have the capacity to contribute to the renewal of the world, and that we are equally different. It argues that public…

The Oman government developed a vision to transform the nation into a sustainable knowledge society by supporting information and communication technologies to improve government services (ITA, n.d.). According to a United Nations (2012) report, Oman ranks 64th worldwide in e-government readiness, the lowest compared to other countries in the…

Performance Management clearly illustrates an attempt by the State to control the work of teachers by making them more efficient, more effective and more accountable. This article will critically scrutinise this bureaucratic process and amplify the voices of those being controlled and will highlight first-hand accounts of how teachers employ…

Recent Finnish policies have encouraged Finnish higher education institutions to develop a market-oriented approach to international higher education by implementing fee-based educational programmes for students from outside the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA). From the Finnish government's perspective, higher education is…

This study reports on the results of interviews conducted in December 2009 and January 2010 to identify innovative service trends in library and information services in the government and corporate arenas. The study was undertaken as part of a Library and Archives Canada (LAC) research project to inform the Government of Canada Assistant Deputy…

In the UK, the vocabulary of public services is becoming infused with the prefixes "inter"-, "multi-" and "co-". Public-sector agencies are being encouraged to adopt"'multi"- or "inter-agency" configurations; "workforce reform" seeks to dissolve once-impermeable professional boundaries;…

The sustainability of a competitive, national economy depends largely on the ability of companies to deliver innovative knowledge-intensive goods and services to the market. These are the ultimate outputs of a scientific knowledge system. Ideas flow from the critical, identifiable phases of (a) the discovery, (b) the development, (c) the…

Maintaining the status quo as well as the attitude toward cultural funding and development that it imposes on video are detrimental to the formation of a thriving video network, and also out of key with the present social and political situation in Britain. Independent video has some quite specific advantages as a medium for cultural production…

Discusses universal service policies in the European Union. Topics include information access; the demise of the public service model; the effects of competition on universal service; financing; national implementation of member states; programs for schools and libraries; and pertinent Web sites on European universal service policy. (LRW)

A new model was created for Spanish universities when the Parliament approved the Ley de Reforma Universitaria. It emphasizes that the university must serve the society and must cooperate in the solution of problems that affect the society. The universities are charged with the mission of executing the scientific policy of the nation and of the…

The mission of the university is fundamentally to interpret, create, and transmit culture and science. The historical development and the needs of the community condition and orientate the university in its task. A rational application of science and technology will contribute to the resolution of many of today's serious problems. A direct…

This collection of nine essays is an outgrowth of a study which was conducted by the Office of Library Programs to identify researchable issues that could help librarians fill a position of leadership in the information society. An introduction to the collection describes the study and includes a list of the 10 major issues identified by…