Showing papers in "Higher Education in 2002"

Beyond national states, markets, and systems of higher education: A glonacal agency heuristic

Abstract: This paper offers an overarching analytical heuristic that takes us beyond current research, anchored in conceptions of national states, markets, and systems of higher education institutions. We seek to shape comparative higher education research with regard to globaliza- tion in much the same way that Clark's (1983) "triangle" heuristic has framed comparative higher education research in the study of national policies and higher education systems. Our "glonacal agency heuristic" points to three intersecting planes of existence, emphasizing the simultaneous significance of global, national, and local dimensions and forces. It com- bines the meaning of "agency" as an established organization with its meaning as individual or collective action. Our paper critiques the prevailing framework in cross-national higher education research, addressing the liberal theory that underpins this framework, the ways scholars address the rise of neo-liberal policies internationally, conceptual shortcomings of this work, and emergent discourse about "academic capitalism". We then discuss globalization and our heuristic. Finally, we provide examples of how states, markets, and institutions can be reconceptualized in terms of global, national, regional, and local agencies and agency.

Participation and exclusion: A comparative analysis of non-traditional students and lifelong learners in higher education

Abstract: The dramatic growth in student numbersassociated with the shift from elite to masssystems across virtually all developedcountries is central to current transformationsin terms of structure, purpose, social andeconomic role of higher education. As a part ofthis process of expansion and heterogenization,new groups of students who, for a complex rangeof social, economic and cultural reasons weretraditionally excluded from orunder-represented in higher education, mightbe expected to participate in increasingnumbers. The paper develops the concept ofnon-traditional learners and demonstrateshow an examination of ways in which highereducation systems respond to such learners canprovide a fruitful basis for a comparativeanalysis of change in higher education acrossten countries – Austria, Australia, Canada,Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden,United Kingdom, and the United States. Theprimary emphasis in the study was on theinstitutional and policy issues which appearedto either inhibit or support participation bynon-traditional learners. On this basis sixfactors were identified which seemed to beparticularly influential with regard to theparticipation of non-traditional students andthe associated moves towards a lifelonglearning mode of higher education.

The political economy of higher education in the era of neoliberal globalization: Latin America in comparative perspective

Abstract: During the last two decades, Latin American universities have experienced intense pressure to abandon the main principles established in the 1918 Cordoba Reform (i.e., autonomy and autarchy). While funding for public higher education has declined, they are pressured to relinquish a large portion of institutional autonomy in order to accommodate to market demands and to a new set of control strategies emanating from the state. We argue that current changes in Latin American higher education cannot be examined in isolation from larger political and economic changes in the region, which in turn are related to the dynamics of globalization. After the decline of socialist and welfare-state models, neoliberal regimes have become hegemonic in many parts of the world. In most countries, changes in financial arrangements, coupled with accountability mechanisms, have forced universities to reconsider their social missions, academic priorities and organizational structures. Concerns about equity, accessibility, autonomy or the contribution of higher education to social transformation, which were prevalent during previous decades, have been overshadowed by concerns about excellence, efficiency, expenditures and rates of return. The notion that higher education is primarily a citizen’s right and a social investment – which has been taken for granted for many decades – is being seriously challenged by a neoliberal agenda that places extreme faith in the market. Though we focus on the international dimension of university change, it is important to note that global trends are promoted, resisted and negotiated differently in each national context and in each individual institution. In the emerging knowledge-based society, the polarization between North and South is expected to increase even further if the scientific and technological gaps are not narrowed. Latin American universities have a crucial role to play in this regard. The paper is organized in two parts. The first describes the context of university change, focusing on issues of globalization and neoliberalism. The second examines the main features of university restructuring in comparative perspective, with a particular focus on Latin America.

Quality assurance in Europe and the U.S.: Professional and political economic framing of higher education policy

Abstract: In this article we study globalization in terms of the diffusion of quality assurance models and practices between two "core" regions, the U.S. and Europe, as well as within Europe, concentrating particularly on Germany and Austria. We examine the timing of the emergence and diffusion of quality assurance and relatedly of strategic management prac- tices. We then consider the prominence of U.S. models and voices in Europe, addressing the professional and political economic framing of higher education policies. Finally, we explore local variations in the meanings and practices of quality assurance and strategic management. We emphasize the ways in which in these "core" settings, professionals are implicated in the diffusion and adaptation of policies and practices in higher education, even as their activities are shaped by larger structures of global professional and political economies.

Identifying academics' orientations to assessment practice

Abstract: Twenty academics from fivedisciplines in Australian universities wereinterviewed about the assessments they usuallyemploy in their undergraduate classes. Theinterviews focussed upon their beliefs aboutthe nature and function of their assessmentsrelative to what they had taught, and on thecharacteristics of good and poor performances. Using a grounded categorisation method, theinterview transcripts were analysed for theacademics' global orientations to assessmentpractice, and six categories emerged. Thesewere further analysed for the beliefsimplicitly constituting them, and sixqualitative belief dimensions emerged,resulting in a matrix in which each of the sixorientations to assessment practice wasdescribed in terms of its unique profile of sixbeliefs. The orientations could be orderedalong a continuum anchored at one end by anemphasis on knowledge reproduction and at theother by an emphasis on knowledge constructionand/or transformation. This ordering wasstrongly related to the orientations toteaching and learning obtained in an earlierinterview which, in turn, had been orderedaccording to their emphasis on teaching-centredversus learning-centred beliefs (Samuelowiczand Bain 2001). The findings are related tothe literature concerned with the influence ofeducational beliefs on practice.

Knowledge production and higher education transformation in South Africa: Towards reflexivity in university teaching, research and community service

Abstract: The central question this article addresses iswhether the emergent shift in knowledgeproduction can transform higher education inSouth Africa to the extent that it becomessocially more relevant. It is my contentionthat higher education transformation in SouthAfrica can become socially more relevant ifguided by the idea of a reflexive praxis whichallows for the integration of ''Mode 1'' and''Mode 2'' forms of knowledge production. I arguethat Mode 1 or disciplinary knowledge should besupplemented by Mode 2 socially distributedknowledge which would cause academics toengender community service which integratestheir research at universities and itsapplication in the broader community. In otherwords, a reflexive praxis needs to be chartedout on the part of academics which would notcause their service to be disengaged from thereal problems in society, but rather, opens uppossibilities for greater social relevance – amatter of ''Mode 2'' supplementing ''Mode 1''.

Approaches to Studying and Perceptions of Academic Quality in Distance Education

Abstract: The Course ExperienceQuestionnaire (CEQ) and a short form of theApproaches to Studying Inventory (ASI) wereadapted for use in distance education and wereadministered to students taking six differentcourses with the Open University. Theconstituent structure of the CEQ was preservedin this distinctive context, and a second-orderfactor analysis confirmed its status as ameasure of perceived academic quality. Thestudents' scores on the individual scales ofthe CEQ and the ASI shared almost half of theirrespective variance. It is concluded thatapproaches to studying in distance educationare strongly associated with students'perceptions of the academic quality of theircourses.

Nation-building universities in a global environment: The case of Australia

Abstract: The mass system of higher education in Australia is a product of the publicly financed nation-building strategies of the 1955–1990 period. The nation-building university is now undergoing a three way crisis brought on by the governmental retreat from nation-building and from the funding that sustained it, the stand-off between corporateand academic practices inside universities, andthe need for new strategies in a globalisingenvironment, in which national policies arerelativised but remain important. The crisis isexacerbated by Australia's location on theAmerican `periphery', associated with globalvulnerability and fluctuating economic andcultural dependence. In response the primarystrategy should not be to imitate Americanuniversities, a course of action which islikely to deliver modest returns, but tostrengthen the academic identity andplace-based identity of Australianinstitutions, enabling them to make adistinctive contribution to global highereducation underpinned by a renewed partnershipbetween nation and university.

Merging divergent campus cultures into coherent educational communities: Challenges for higher education leaders

Abstract: Mergers in higher education are viewed here as a sociocultural issue. Concen- trating particularly on mergers in Australia during the late 1980s and beyond, highlighted are some cultural challenges that arose and strategies adopted by institutional leaders in trying to create integrated communities from the merging of campus cultures that were historically and symbolically un-complementary. By viewing a number of cases, how hoped-for post-merger integration or 'coherent educational communities' were and were not achieved is a specific focus. Evidence indicates that in newly merged campuses integrated as opposed to federal structures provide more scope for tighter cultural integration. In particular, expert leadership is needed that keeps cultural conflict to a minimum and pays special attention to developing new loyalties, high morale and a sense of community within the newly created institution.

Serving many masters: the PhD on the labour market, the everlasting need of inequality, and the premature death of Humboldt

Abstract: The paper addresses the processes and outcomesof doctoral training and their impact on thesubsequent careers and work affiliations ofdoctoral degree holders on the bases of theresults of the first large scale survey amongthis target group in Germany It assesses theGerman experience with the doctoral degree as aticket to multiple journeys on the labourmarket inside and – quantitatively moreimportant – outside academe Links between`traditional' inequalities in the framework ofthe equality of opportunity discourse,`non-traditional' inequalities in the frameworkof the life-cycle discourse, transition toemployment and advanced career stages, areaddressed The overall picture that derivesfrom the survey results shows a quite positiveoutcome of the PhD on the labour market By andlarge, PhD matters if we compare doctoraldegree holders and graduates Selectionfor doctoral training is biased by socialorigin while later career attainment amongPhD-holders is not Thus, the `need ofinequality' is mainly satisfied by respectiveselection processes within the educationalsystem In contrast, the analysis supports the`entry-job hypotheses' that suggests asignificant impact of early career stages onlater stages The analysis shows as well that adeviation from continuous full-time employmentis a clear career hindrance

Barriers to effective quality management and leadership: Case study of two academic departments

Abstract: This paper reports results of 'insider research' at a UK college of higher educa- tion (NewColl). In drawing on a 'ground-level' approach, and building on earlier work (Newton 1999a,b), it provides insights into 'front-line' academics' views and perspectives on organisational change and the implementation of quality policy, and points to challenges for institutional leadership. The paper begins by considering the impact of the quality revolution on the academic community and its relationships, and then looks at how policy implementation, leadership, and the management of change can be conceptualised. The case study element consists of profiles of two academic departments which, in the main body of the research, displayed markedly more negative responses to organisational change and the implementation of revised quality assurance arrangements than other academic units. Drawing on interview data which provide 'thick description' (Geertz 1973), a set of explanatory concepts is presented which help to explain why the two schools show themselves to be divergent in comparison with others. These concepts centre on issues around 'psychological contracts' (Handy 1984, 1993); leadership, communication and the management of change; collegialism and professional accountability; and reciprocal accountability and mutual trust. The paper goes on to consider the importance of 'the discretion debate' (Lipsky 1976, 1980; Prottas 1978) and proposes that, by stressing 'ownership', 'professional autonomy', and 'self-assessment', quality assurance systems and quality management in higher education run the risk of exposing or exacerbating the 'problem' of discretion for institutional managers and leaders. The paper concludes by identifying a number of lessons which can be drawn from the case study for quality managers and academic administrators.

Quality assurance in Australian higher education: Globalisation and 'steering at a distance'

Abstract: The complex and contested phenomenon of globalisation presents a fundamental challenge to higher education. Arguably, the development of quality assurance mechanisms during the 1990s and into the 2000s is one of the key globalising practices evident in many higher education sectors – in both developed and developing countries. However, there are still too few studies on the implications of globalisation processes grounded in detailed examinations of particular historical times and geographical spaces. It is important to investigate context-specific differences in potentially globalising policies and practices, rather than simply assuming global homogenisation. This paper offers an analysis of policy on quality assurance in Australian higher education over the last decade. It points to the changing discourses on `quality' over the period from a management device to a marketing device. It suggests that, in essence, quality assurance mechanisms have provided the government with an avenue for `steering at a distance', where the controls over universities and academics have not lessened but have changed form. The specific mechanisms used are both similar to, and different from, those evident in quality assurance policies in other higher education systems.

Brokers on the boundary: Academy-industry liaison in Canadian universities

Abstract: As scientific research has taken on increasingeconomic significance so research managementhas become a priority for universities and theState. Over the last two decades,Industry-Liaison Offices have become anestablished part of the infrastructure ofCanadian universities. The managers of theseoffices are the quintessential boundary workerswho are charged with translating academicscience into intellectual property. Someuniversities operate with an `internal' modelwhere the office is fully integrated into theuniversity's structure. Other universitiesoperate with an `external' model where theoffice operates outside the university eitheras a non-profit or a for-profit corporation.This article traces the institutionalization ofthese offices and commercialization in Canadianuniversities. Using documentary analysis andinterviews we document the key issues for thesemanagers in four `case' study universities, asthey attempt to commercialize universityresearch. We describe how these managers`capture the benefits' of discoveries generatedby researchers – the process of identifying,protecting, and exploiting intellectualproperty. Finally, we identify four majorthemes: intellectual property policy; cultureconflict; boundary work; and the public good. We end by raising the question about what islost when `capital' is allowed to enteruniversity culture in such a direct manner.

Changing knowledge regimes: Universities in a new research environment

Abstract: This paper takes an apparent knowledgeparadox as its point of departure. `Knowledge'has acquired a more all encompassing meaningtoday, yet this has not strengthened thesupport for and confidence in higher educationinstitutions. On the contrary, it is oftenclaimed that they have outlived theirusefulness. In trying to understand thedevelopment behind this paradox, we deal withthree issues. We discuss first thewidening concept of knowledge and the claimthat there is emerging a new mode of knowledgeproduction. Secondly the widening concept ofknowledge is put into a social and politicalcontext, where massification and its socialimplications are discussed. Thirdly we developa theoretical framework based on the concept ofknowledge regimes. In this part wediscuss how the concept of knowledge regimesand the related concepts of knowledgeinterests and knowledge alliances may behelpful in understanding the complexities andambiguity of higher education development.Finally we discuss some implications regardingknowledge's role in social development. Wequestion the assumption that there is anecessary relationship between a wideningconcept of knowledge and a given form ofknowledge development.

The internationalization of higher education in Japan in the 1990s: A reconsideration

Abstract: This article focuses on the processof internationalization of higher education inJapan since 1995 from two main points of view:1) the improved quality and efficiency ofuniversity education and 2) the increasedopenness to students from any background. Governmental initiatives, intended to increasethe number of international students, alsoenabled drastic changes in financial and humanresource allocations at both national andinstitutional levels. Individual institutionshave been strongly influenced by theseinitiatives and some have actively utilizedinternationalization as a way to enrich theiruniversity education. Equal opportunity foruniversity admission has not been fully securedfor ethnic minorities residing in Japan. Themeaning of internationalization should be nowconsidered from a broader perspective.

Systemic adaptation to a changing environment: Towards a next generation of quality assurance models

Abstract: Quality assessment has been part of thefeedback mechanisms of European highereducation systems since around 1980. Due tointernal dynamics, `erosion' of theeffectiveness of first-generation qualityassessment systems has led to loss ofcredibility (legitimacy) of these systems inthe late 1990s. External dynamics alsonecessitate designing a next generation ofquality assurance systems. They include notablya loss of transparency (hence, legitimacy) ofthe European higher education system throughincreased internationalisation (most notablythrough the Bologna process) which puts new,increased demands on institutional arrangementsfor quality assurance.In this paper, we first intend to schematisethe developments of quality assurance in highereducation by introducing a phase model of theeffects of internal and external dynamics.Next, we will analyse this phase model from theperspective of argumentative policy inquiry.Finally, we will contrast policy developmentsin higher education with one other example,viz. environmental policy in the Netherlands.The conclusions of this comparison, as well asthe new challenges set for quality assurance inhigher education by the Bologna process, arethe subject matter for the final section of ourpaper.

The merger of non-university colleges in Norway

Abstract: This article discusses the merger of 98 vocationally-oriented colleges into 26 state colleges in Norway. The mergers, which took place in 1994, have in many ways proved to be a successful reform. The colleges now have more competent administration and professional leadership, and they have become far more visible and aquired a higher status. Still, several of the aims of the reform - to improve teaching and research and to make the colleges more cost- effective - can so far not be said to have been fulfilled. In addition, many academic staff feel that the new colleges have become bureaucratised, that the identity of the individual vocational programmes have been weakened, and they blame the reform for a general retrenchment in financial resources.

Mode 2 knowledge and institutional life: taking Gibbons on a walk through a South African university

Abstract: This paper examines the response of a blackuniversity in South Africa to the challengesposed by the mode 2 knowledge thesis of MichaelGibbon. The case material is based on theFaculty of Engineering at the University ofDurban Westville, which in the period 1999–2000grappled with the implications of Gibbon’sthesis for knowledge, inquiry and professionalidentity in a proposed university-industrypartnership. The author argues that entrenchedinstitutional rules and behaviours threaten toundermine any attempt to rethink the researchand practice of engineering education even whensuch restructuring appears to work in the bestinterest of students.

Preparing the way for mergers in South African higher and further education institutions: An investigation into staff perceptions

Abstract: Many higher and furthereducation institutions in South Africa arestruggling to survive in a context of financialstringency, declining student enrolments andincreasing competition. For some of theseinstitutions merging or amalgamation with otherinstitutions in the near future is becoming astrong likelihood. The perceptions of staff whowill be directly affected by these processesseem to be very important, as knowledge andunderstanding of those perceptions will empowerdecision-makers and ensure that effectivemanagement of the merging process can beaccomplished. This investigation focused onstaff perceptions of possible merging of threeinstitutions in the Free State Province, whichhad been identified for possible merging withother institutions. The results indicate thatstaff is not opposed to the idea ofinstitutional combinations or merging, but thatcareful consideration needs to be given toparticularly personal factors and that stafffears will have to be addressed in the processto ensure effective merging.

Effects of curriculum organisation on study progress in engineering studies

Abstract: Procrastination and time investment are important issues in the study of student performance and progress. Previous research on these issues has mainly concentrated upon individual differences between students in personality and time management skills. However, study progress depends not only on student characteristics but also on the organisation of the curriculum. A multilevel analysis that was carried out on data concerning 1578 engineering students on twelve different programmes provides evidence that variation in study progress can partly be attributed to curriculum organisation. The spread of study activities over the year, instruction characteristics and examination characteristics were found to have effects on progress. This implies that institutes in higher education may improve their students' progress to some extent by means of efficient curriculum organisation.

The importance of geography and culture in mergers: A Norwegian institutional case study

Abstract: Internationally the mainintention of merging higher educationinstitutions has often been that theestablishment of larger units should result inacademic and administrative economies of scale.This was also the case in the Norwegian StateCollege Reform. This article focuses on howgeographical distance, as well as culturaldifferences between sub-units at TelemarkCollege, influence the degree of attainment ofacademic and administrative goals. By usingnetwork theory and a cultural approach, we havestudied the merger processes as well as theoutcomes of the amalgamation. In theconclusion, lessons to be learned from thiscase study are highlighted.

Lifelong learning: Implications for institutions

Abstract: Lifelong learning poses a large number ofthreats and opportunities for the traditionalhigher education institutions. Not justprogramme offerings and means of delivery willhave to be restructured, but, morefundamentally, universities and colleges willhave to rethink and reshape their businessconcept, that is: their way of creating valueand maintaining their competitive edge overother providers in the education system.

The assessment of universities in Argentina and Australia: Between autonomy and heteronomy *

Abstract: The field of university assessment, including quality assurance, is structured by power and conflict, and shaped by technologies of assessment such as self-study by academic units, numerical performance indicators and whole institution evaluation and ranking. In reconstructing and comparing the recent evolution of assessment practices in Argentina and Australia we detect a common neo-liberal approach to assessment, supported by global agen- cies such as the World Bank. Assessment policies and practices are used to advance neo-liberal agendas, often in contradiction with national traditions in higher education. In both countries more externalised and institution-centred forms of assessment have facilitated the reformed government heteronomy vis-a-vis the universities, the rise of business-style management inside them at the expense of participatory governance, the transformation of intellectual autonomy into corporate autonomy, and the reduction of diversity and academic independence. However, some forms of university assessment can be used to facilitate internally-controlled reflection within academic units, directed towards educational objectives.

A lexicon of inter-institutional cooperation

Abstract: Recent studies have indicated that, while there is a great deal of interest among both governments and institutions in inter-institutional cooperation, the terminology of cooperation is confused and imprecise. Mergers are sometimes characterized as being an extension of inter- institutional cooperation, sometimes they are regarded as separate, unique, and situated on a plane or continuum different from that of such structures as federations and consortia. Yet, in generic terms, mergers share a number of characteristics with other forms of cooperation, and are often pursued for the same reasons. This study investigates the origins and motivations of inter-institutional cooperation in order to show that the various forms of cooperation, including merger, are part of a single evolutionary continuum. Next, it develops a lexicon or taxonomy of inter-institutional cooperation. Finally, it discusses the directions that inter-institutional cooperation might take in the future along that continuum.

Reality versus perception: Restructuring tertiary education and institutional organisational change - a case study

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcome of restructuring the tertiary system in New South Wales, Australia five years after its announcement in the late 1980s. It was hoped that lessons could be learned to assist policy makers in Nova Scotia, Canada in their attempt to restructure higher education. Twenty-four senior administrators were interviewed to collect data on 'why' and 'how' decisions were made in response to a voluntary restructuring policy. Qualitative data analysis revealed that (1) voluntary amalgam- ations and federations take place when tertiary institutions fear governments will mandate restructuring; (2) restructuring old established institutions is more difficult; (3) personal ambi- tions of leaders negotiating mergers play an important role; (4) loose federations are likely to become more bureaucratic and less efficient; (5) organisational change and development are poorly understood by senior administrators. To achieve organisational change, more than one factor must be present. Congruence between these factors is critical to achieve desired outcomes. The data inferred that there is a relationship between leadership, restructuring, managing staff relations, organisational development, external pressure for change, and organisational change. To illustrate this rela- tionship, the 'primary triad model' was created suggesting a holistic approach to achieving desired outcomes. Otherwise, organisational change may be perception rather than reality.

From the personal to the public: Conceptions of creative writing in higher education

Abstract: Much qualitative research on student learningin higher education has focused on a keydistinction between surface reproductionof `knowledge' and a deeper understandingof it. This distinction has also been found inresearch on student practice and understandingof essay and discursive writing. This paperreports on results from a study of 40interviews conducted with students takingcreative writing courses at three differenthigher education institutions in the UnitedKingdom. Interviews were conducted withstudents of various levels of experience andexpertise in creative writing and includedstudents taking a single undergraduate modulein creative writing and students enrolled in ahighly selective Masters program in CreativeWriting. The interviews focused on thestudents' conceptions and practice of creativewriting while taking their respective courses. The analysis of the interview transcriptsrevealed an underlying subjectivistepistemology in the students' generalassumptions and perception of the nature ofCreative Writing vis-a-vis other forms ofacademic writing. Linked to this epistemology,the analysis disclosed a typology of fourdiffering conceptions of student understandingand practice of creative writing within twooverall transcribing and composingcategories of conception. These categoriesclosely resemble student's conceptions ofwriting practices in other disciplines.

Exploring the hermeneutic foundations of university life : deaf academics in a hybrid community of practice.

Abstract: This paper derives from a study oforganizational socialization and induction inuniversities. It uses some of the data fromthat study to critique social practice theoryand to further develop a model to illuminatethe characteristics of professionalknowledgeability and practices underpinningdaily life in universities. This is donethrough the analysis of a case study of oneunusual sub-departmental workgroup in anunchartered English university: one thatcomprises both Deaf and hearing academics.Using such a case study highlights factors thatare less evident in hearing-only situations,displaying important features in exaggeratedform which exist less palpably in mostmicro-social situations in universities. As aresult it offers a suitable locus for themodelling of the processes underlying muchwhich is taken for granted in universities'daily life. The structure of the paper is asfollows: it outlines the broader study fromwhich this is derived and makes some generalcomments about using `unusual' case studies. Itthen goes on to describe the characteristics ofworkgroups in university contexts through thecase study example and to explore theirtheoretical corollaries. Finally the paperconsiders the implications for aspects of themodel developed, particularly in terms of localleadership.

Challenging the traditional organization of Japanese universities

Abstract: This essay examines how Japaneseresearch universities have changed from anorganizational perspective over the past tenyears. First, Japan has modified graduateeducation to better compete with othercountries. The traditional undergraduateschool-centered system has been changed toinclude a focus on graduate education. Sincegraduate schools are more sensitive to changesin and generation of new knowledge, this newfocus affects various areas of universities,including the status of professors. Second,universities have become loosely coupledsystems as a result of recent reforms, such asintroducing a ``large'' chair system and theseparation of teaching and research. This neworganizational structure makes universitiesmore flexible and more receptive to furtherreforms. Finally, the loosely coupledstructure of Japanese universities requires thecreation and standardization of universityculture. The introduction of newvice-president positions will contribute to theformation of university identity rather thanstrengthen of governance systems.

The quality assurance system and market forces in Japanese higher education

Abstract: This article analyzes thedevelopment of the quality assurance system andchanges in market forces in higher education inJapan. First, the article focuses on thefunction and impact of self-monitoring andself-evaluation systems as unique processesoriented towards decentralization and internalreflection. Second, the changes in marketforces in higher education during rapideconomic globalization are discussed. Third,the possibility of external evaluation by theNational Institution for Academic Degrees isintroduced as a bureaucratic approach to showaccountability in the national universitysystem. Finally, the relationship between thechanges in the quality assurance system and thechanges in market forces is addressed.