Little is known about how the complex notion of higher education quality is understood and (strategically) handled by a specific group of key university actors: directors of educational programmes. A framing analysis of in-depth interviews was conducted to explore how bachelor-programme directors in Dutch social science departments understand and…

The Netherlands' experience with the Conditional Finance System, introduced in the universities in 1982 make explicit the distribution of research effort and allocate research resources on bases other than enrollments, is discussed. (MSE)

Since 1980, the University of Keele (England) and the Katholieke Hogeschool at Tilburg (Netherlands) have been developing joint programs of study between universities in the European community. The problems and practice of developing such links and those involved in fostering an innovative idea for cross-cultural studies are discussed. (MSE)

The financial support system for scientific research in the Netherlands and University of Leiden are described. Methods for funding teaching and research separately are examined, and faculty response to these methods are discussed. The funding changes are intended to link funding more directly to institutional and national science policy. (MSE)

A new allocation model for teaching and nonteaching staff has been developed at the University of Utrecht, in the Netherlands. The model may be characterized as highly normative, leading to lump sums to be allocated to academic departments. These departments in turn are free, within constraints, to budget their activities differently than is…

The evolution of the role of research and development units in Netherlands higher education in the last two decades is discussed in the context of its tasks, organization, and position in the university hierarchy; dissemination of research results; cooperation with other units and researchers; and the field of study. (MSE)

This issue--an international overview of cooperative/work experience education--contains ten case studies and four student viewpoints. It begins with an article discussing types of cooperative/work experience programs, including those focused on in the case studies. A second article previews the Second World Conference on Cooperative Education.…

European case studies on strategies for adult education are presented as representative or exemplary approaches to universal access. Each is described within a historical and social context: the British Community Colleges and the Open University; the Swedish Study Circles; the Evening Folk High School in Germany; the social-cultural animation…