On signing the Bologna declaration in 1999, European countries committed themselves to addressing the reforms necessary for adapting their university education to the European Higher Education Area. This modification process culminated in 2010, and this research aims to analyse the degree of divergence that currently exists in each course subject…

At a time when more students than ever are attending higher education, its provision is becoming more fluid, global and competitive. For example, developments in new technologies mean that higher education institutions (HEIs) can make their courses available all over the world. These developments bring into question the traditional delivery model…

The engagement of academics in organizational change in higher education institutions is generally understood as involving a wide range of behaviors, and previous studies have situated academics' actions at various points along a continuum between passivity and pro-activity. This article complements this approach by asking how--rather than in…

Chapter 1 starts out with a short historical view on "academisation" and "professionalisation," illustrating how much professional higher education (PHE) in Europe has been in flux in the past years. With examples from France and Ireland, the chapter argues how a new spectrum of missions, differences in national organization of…

In the seventeenth century the status of chemistry changed remarkably. Chemistry was no longer regarded as a manual practice subordinated to medicine but as an independent discipline that was taught both privately and in universities. In Germany, it became part of the medical teaching in several universities, while in the rest of Europe the…

The results of a comparative study on the influences of state regulation on the behavior of higher education institutions in the design and implementation of innovations in their curricula are presented. Three case studies in the Federal Republic of Germany, France and the Netherlands are described. (Author/MLW)

The idea of the college as a residential and instructional entity preparing students for advanced study by establishing basic knowledge in the liberal arts has a long history in Europe and the United States. The German term "Bildung" describes this function well, with its suggestions of "knowledge, culture, the power of expression,…

The development of the new French universities is traced from 1968 to 1978. Chapter One examines the state of French higher education prior to 1968, including such aspects as access to education and student life. Chapter Two focuses on the student revolt at the Sorbonne on May 3, 1968. In the next four chapters, the emergence of the Faure law with…

A comparison of chemistry teaching in French "Grandes Ecoles" and British universities focuses on entry requirements, course structure and content, teaching methods, assessment, and relationship to industry. Ways in which each country can benefit from the other's practices are outlined. A breakdown of program hours in selected…

The Filiere Administration Economique et Social in France was created in 1972 as a multidisciplinary program combining economics and social sciences. Some problems encountered by the program are the result of contradictions with regulatory procedures and the conservatism of disciplines and their representative bodies. This article suggests ways to…

Describes an example of the main steps in restructuring a curriculum and thinking developed by a systems approach. Provides several diagrams illustrating the curriculum structure. (Author/YP)

This paper examines university-industry cooperation in France. It discusses four successive periods in universities' commitment to professionalizing the curriculum and presents specific strategies that have been adopted, such as work study programs, dividing university training courses into smaller units, and industry-university cooperative…

An approach to quality in college instruction at a French technical institute, based on the industrial model of quality assurance, is outlined, and four separate initiatives are described. They include a group organized to implement the approach in a civil engineering department, undergraduate curriculum reform, redefinition of objectives in…

Significant changes made in the French university system in a brief period, affecting teaching, curriculum, degree programs, and institutional evaluation, are examined to determine whether they represent a break from or continuation of an earlier situation. Issues underlying current trends are also discussed. (MSE)

First-cycle university courses in France have a special function, both providing education and serving as an adjustment variable, guaranteeing a place in higher education for any student with the "baccalaureat" degree. Suggests criticism of the system for poor completion rates in undergraduate courses is partially unfounded because the…