Universities today are increasingly being viewed in terms of serving the purpose of economic development. This paper postulates that their chief purpose is to advance knowledge and that in doing so they effectuate regional economic growth and development through processes specified in the endogenous economic growth model. To achieve this purpose…

The disciplines of economic history and the history of education have drawn closer since the 1960s. This engagement has led to fresh thematic contributions--the role of literacy and education in the Industrial Revolution and industrialization generally, how far its neglect underlay the "decline" of Britain since 1870, the relation of…

This document consist of the abstracts for two papers which considered the impact of information technologies on political and economic systems. The first paper, "The Political Repercussions of Transnational Corporate Information Systems" (Terry Curtis), argued that information technologies are the most recent in a series of…

Discusses United States' neglect of the problems of Haitian boat people in adjusting to American social and economic life. Presents findings of a field study of Haitians in a Federal health clinic and three labor camps. Despite hard work, Haitians's social mobility is limited by their indebtedness to the company store, and their lack of contact…

The solution for future ecological problems may be in how we view uninterrupted growth in relation to its hazards on natural resources, global life support systems and the human psychosphere. Attempts should be made to bring about fundamental changes in patterns of economic and technology which emphasize humanism and harmony with ecological…

The best way for an industrial enterprise to achieve prosperity is to develop the creative talents of its employees. (CK)

In 1996, employment growth in Australia stagnated at 0.8% despite a steady economic growth of 3.1%. Overall the prospects for the international economy in 1997 appear to be good. The strengthening of the recovery in Japan should improve Australia's terms of trade and allow the currency to maintain its current level. (JOW)

A review of the articles on modernization in Australia, England, New Zealand, Scotland and the USA demonstrates and discusses the complexity attached to the concept. This also enables a better understanding of the contention and controversy that surrounds the concept and its application to educational policy and practice. Modernization policies in…

This article deals with the process in the field of education and training that the European Union has put forward to tackle the main challenges it is facing: globalisation, ageing and the ICT revolution. In order to take advantage of the opportunities brought by these three forces and to counteract their potential negative impact, the European…

Most Americans would quickly identify representative government, free elections, the rule of law, and a free press as essential institutions for a healthy democracy. But few would as readily include higher education system on such a list, although colleges and universities are a vital foundation of the political system. In this article, the author…

After World War II, the American university emerged as a world leader in higher education. Economic development became a dominant value and its subsequent material success has been unrivaled. Many developing countries adopted characteristics of the model with the expectation that national economic growth would follow. Yet it has also been…

Earlier studies of France, Germany and the UK suggest that a common framework exists to explain the relationship between public expenditure on education and economic growth in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This article shows that while a similar relationship exists in the USA, US policies were particularly committed to the educational…

China and India together account for almost 25% of the world's postsecondary student population. Most of the enrolment growth in the coming several decades will be in developing countries, and China and India will contribute a significant proportion of that expansion, since China currently educates only about 20% and India 10% of the age cohort.…

Countries in the Arab region are faced with the challenge of developing their populations' skills and technical knowledge, or human capital, in order to compete in the 21st century global economy. The authors describe the education and labor market initiatives implemented or under way in four countries in the Arab region -- Lebanon, Oman, Qatar,…

In the context of aging populations, governments in Australia and in other Western nations fear that slower growth in the numbers of people of working age (15-64 years) will have a dampening effect on economic growth. They are thus considering how to encourage older workers to remain in the workforce beyond the point at which many currently…