Handbook on the Politics of Higher Education

The Handbook on the Politics of Higher Education reveals valuable new perspectives for understanding higher education. Higher education plays an ever-greater role in contemporary life, creating innovation, skills, prosperity, and wellbeing, and is therefore of increasing importance to understand.Crafted as a sophisticated entry point, this Handbook takes a wide look at the topic, the state of contemporary research, and future directions. An array of expert international contributors examine important and contentious issues such as who should pay, how to keep higher education accountable, the assurance of quality, boosting productivity and affordability, and the role of states and markets. Experts explain how universities relate to states and societies, the political economy of higher education, planning and resource allocation, regulation and quality, and the politics of stakeholder interests.Unpacking key issues for both researchers new to the sector and experts alike, this topical Handbook will prove essential and thought-provoking reading for government policymakers, social science researchers, higher education executives, as well as instructors of graduate courses.Contributors include: B. Cantwell, H. Coates, A. Boggs, J. Brennan, A. Calderon, D.G. Carew, B. Chapman, G. Croucher, G. Davis, R. Deem, T. Depaola, D. Dohmen, R. Fearnside, C.A. Goldman, A. Grimm, E. Halford, T. Hicks, E. Jerez, B. Jongbloed, A. Kezar, R. King, M. Klemencic, D. Kristoffersen, M. Krongkaew, S. Lee, B. Lepori, M. Lodge, R. Middlehurst, K. Moore, Å. Olsson, B.Y. Park, A. Pettigrew, S. Popenici, B. Pusser, S. Robertson, P. Rohan, C. Sá, E. Sabzalieva, D. Van Damme, M. Van Der Wende, M. Vukasovic, R. Wagenaar, S.U. Weerakkody, M. Wells, R. Yang, C. Ziguras

'An impressive feature of the Handbook on the Politics of Higher Education is the elegant economy with which it incorporates multiplicity, ambiguity and contestation into clear conceptual and organisational frameworks, beginning with a simple two-way matrix comprising social analysis, social action; rational choice, power and conflict. The array of international contributors includes, amongst others, political theorists and political scientists, economists and sociologists, administrators, managers, institutional leaders, finance specialists and policy advisers. They draw on their higher education research, scholarship, consultancy, practice and policy development in Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, and Africa, as well as Latin America and the Middle East.' --Mary Henkel, retired from Brunel University London, UK'The Handbook on the Politics of Higher Education is much the best available collection of its kind and the editors are to be congratulated. Topic coverage by the distinguished group of contributors is great, and starting with Brian Pusser's brilliant opening chapter, that sweeps across the field, there's a real excitement in much of the writing. This is sharp and authoritative analysis of the politics of higher education, like a coiled spring, for an increasingly political time-a time in which universities themselves are likely to become more political in future.' --Simon Marginson, University College London, ESRC/HEFCE Centre for Global Higher Education and Editor-in-Chief, Higher Education'Politics surrounds academic life. The state, the organization, its actors, and the policies that get developed in tertiary education all function by way of political frameworks. What makes this Handbook useful is not only that it is comprehensive, but also that it crosses national boundaries and provides a geopolitical understanding to complex topics. The authors are experts in the field and the topic is of timely import. Thoughtful. Useful. Provocative.' --William G. Tierney, University of Southern California, US

Edited by Brendan Cantwell, Associate Professor, Department of Educational Administration, Michigan State University, US, Hamish Coates, Tenured Professor, Tsinghua University's Institute of Education, and Deputy Director, Tsinghua University Global Research Centre for the Assessment of College and Student Development, China and Roger King, Visiting Professor, School of Management, University of Bath, UK