1st Edition
Democratizing Higher Education International Comparative Perspectives
Higher education systems around the world are undergoing fundamental change and reform due to external pressures—including internationalization of higher education, increased international competition for students, less reliance on public funding, and calls to create greater access opportunities for citizens. How are higher education systems evolving structurally as a result of these and other pressures? In light of these changes, how can higher education be a positive force for democratizing societies?
This book examines the emerging trends taking place in higher education systems around the world, focusing on the most salient political and social forces that underlie these trends. Each chapter provides a case study of a country, exploring its cultural and political history, the political and social developments that have affected its higher education system, and the result of these changes on the higher education system. In a fast-changing, knowledge-intensive, democratic society, Democratizing Higher Education explores how higher education systems can be developed to provide access, affordability, participation, and quality life-long learning for all.
Foreword by Nel Noddings
Preface by Patrick Blessinger and John P. Anchan
1 An Introduction to Democratizing Higher Education
John P. Anchan
2 Democratizing Higher Education in the United States: A Legacy of Democratic Learning
Linda Watts
3 Democratizing Higher Education in Canada: Quality and Educational Development
Arshad Ahmad and Lori Goff
4 Democratization in European Higher Education: The Past, Present, and Future of the Bologna Process
María Luisa Pérez Cañado
5 South Europe Higher Education: Portugal and Its Peripheral Regions
Luísa Soares and Catarina Faria
6 Democratizing Higher Education in the United Kingdom: A Case Study
Craig Mahoney and Helena Lim
7 Higher Education in Scandinavia: A Case Study
Jørgen Lerche Nielsen and Lars Birch Andreasen
8 Higher Education in New Zealand: A Case Study of the Land of the Long White Cloud
Lorraine Stefani
9 Higher Education in South Africa: A Case Study
Mandla S. Makhanya and Jeanette C. Botha
10 Modernization of Russian Higher Education: Progress and Opportunities
Natalia Moscvina and Olga Kovbasyuk
11 Democratizing Higher Education in China’s Hong Kong: Between Rhetoric and Reality
Hei-hang Hayes Tang
12 Democratization of Higher Education in India: A Case Study
Arputharaj Devaraj
13 Malaysian Higher Education: A Case Study
Enakshi Sengupta
14 The Future of Higher Education: Towards A Democratic Theory of Higher Education
Patrick Blessinger
Democratizing Higher Education: Concluding Thoughts
Patrick Blessinger
Biography
Patrick Blessinger is the founder and Executive Director of the International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association (HETL) and a lecturer, author, and researcher in education.
John P. Anchan is Professor and Associate Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Winnipeg, Canada. He is President of the International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association (HETL).
"This timely book helpfully reminds us that higher education was once (and might yet be again?) considered and discussed in terms of its wider contribution to culture and civilisation, as well as to social inclusiveness and equity, all in the context of a (re-)discovered core ethos of political, ethnic, and social justice."
--David Palfreyman, Director of the Oxford Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies, Oxford University
"Through the authors’ compelling case studies on social, cultural, economic and political issues in diverse communities, the reader can quickly understand the commonalities to all quality higher education programs across international borders. Applause to Blessinger and Anchan for providing an excellent resource that presents significant ideas with a trajectory for higher education systems."
--Barbara Cozza, Associate Professor, St. John’s University
"A democratically engaged society demands a citizenry that can critically think and challenge the forces that oppose it. Higher education is key. This volume offers a global look at how several nations strive to make higher education a reality for all its citizens as well as the challenges they face in doing so. It is a must-read for any student or professor of international higher education studies."
--Jill Alexa Perry, Executive Director, Carnegie Project on the Educational Doctorate
