Three Cs of Higher Education : Competition, Collaboration and Complementarity

The thirteen papers in this collection address three aspects of higher education, primarily in Europe but also in the United States. These aspects are competition, collaboration, and complementarity, both on the level of policy and on the practical level of impact on students and staff. Competition, especially for funding, occurs between and within institutions. Collaboration, more than a basic code of conduct, has become a political principle across Europe. Complementarity in the market for higher education facilitates this collaboration. The themes and contexts in higher education for which the three Cs are examined include missions and identities, response to external forces, the impact of evaluation systems and ranking schemes, the effects of globalisation, intercultural awareness and gender imbalance, and the challenges of student participation. Statistical tables and visual aids support the analysis and arguments. This book is the fifth in a series of publications drawn from the annual Forums of the European Association of Institutional Research (EAIR) from 2013 onwards.

Liviu Matei is a Professor of Higher Education and Public Policy, and Head of the School of Education, Communication and Society at King’s College London.

Mark O’Hara is Professor and Associate Dean at the Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, United Kingdom.

Rosalind Pritchard is Emeritus Professor of Education, Ulster University, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Clare Milsom is Professor of Academic Practice and Director of the Teaching and Learning Academy of the John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom.