Emerging Patterns of Social Demand and University Reform : Through a Glass Darkly

In times of rapid international political and economic change the great universities of Europe and North America are being transformed. Public expectations about access to higher education, government concerns about the role that universities can play in innovation and economic development, and the application of the principals of market economics to the university systems of all countries have created a new context for higher education. Universities whose governance and organization have been among the most stable and predictable in modern society are experiencing unprecedented pressure for change. Social demands in Europe are leading for the first time in history to a corporate form of university, similar in structure to American institutions. American universities are confronted with new levels of national and international competition as well as new government policies. The papers of this volume are the outcome of the remarkable process of discussions which took place during the 1995 international symposium on the future role of the university held in Vienna, Austria. The papers have been thoughtfully revised to reflect the insights and contributions of the participants at the symposium and the editors have provided a synthesizing introduction and conclusion. The respective chapters are rich in scholarly insight regarding the complex intersection between public policy and university organization.

Professor Sir David Williams, Vice-Chancellor, University of Cambridge
This invaluable volume addresses both the pressures for change...and also the responses of university governing bodies and heads in terms of institutional adaptation. A common theme throughout has been the vital importance of maintaining the values and ethos of universities through the whirlwind of change.... The book will be essential reading for all those who, in different ways are concerned for the future of universities, and who are able to participate in the debate.