Academic careers are social processes which involve many members of large populations over long periods of time. This paper outlines a discursive perspective which looks into how academics are categorized in academic systems. From a discursive view, academic careers are organized by categories which can define who academics are (subjectivation)…

This study considers the extensive critique of the impact of the "market" or "neoliberal" model on learning and its outcomes in the light of alternative models. The purpose is to consider the potential impacts of the market on learning and its outcomes and to contextualise critique by considering alternative coordination…

This report reviews the use of loans for learning in 33 European countries and analyses the schemes in eight selected Member States: France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Finland, Sweden and the UK. The analysis shows that loan schemes vary considerably across Europe in terms of types and levels of learning covered, conditions of…

The relationship between the state and higher education institutions has always been a complex one. The "state" itself in this context is a heterogeneous mix of elite people--bureaucrats, politicians, committees of co-opted academics and business leader--and it increasingly faces pressures from diverse stakeholders, including students…

Health care systems worldwide are experiencing similar pressures such as rising cost, aging populations, and increased burden of disease. While policy makers in all countries face these challenges, their responses must consider local pressures, particularly the implicit social contract between the state, medicine, and insurers. We argue that…

The objective of this report is to improve Canadians' understanding of e-learning--particularly of the challenges, limitations and benefits--so that Canada may move forward in appropriate and relevant ways. Levels of adoption of e-learning have been significantly slower than predicted. This report also identifies areas related to e-learning where…

This series of articles cites a variety of sources and synthesizes a number of studies related to education and training efforts in both developing and developed nations. (SSH)

The discussions and presentations in an international workshop on defining and implementing institutional mission are summarized. Focus was on the primary issues and the roles of leadership and government, using experiences of Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and the United States as illustrations. (MSE)

Provides an overview and comparison of the historical trends in information policy-making and recent proposals for the information infrastructure in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the European Union, and Canada. The role of the private sector, including transnational corporations, is also considered. (MES)

This paper presents a model of the approaches open to government to ensure that early childhood services are affordable to families. We derived the model from a comparative literature review of affordability approaches taken by government, both in Australia and internationally. The model adds significantly to the literature by proposing a means to…

Discusses immigrants, ethnic minorities, and questions of citizenship in Europe, the role of the city in addressing local citizenship and participation, and the policies and institutions intended to foster participation. Describes the project entitled "Multicultural Policies and Modes of Citizenship in European Cities." (CMK)

This newsletter contains articles in French and English on events relating to educational policy in various European countries. Part 1 contains an essay on the essential aims of education and a suggestion for incorporating work and study in university education. Part 2 includes the following news items: Austria's school education act; Belgium's…

Presents an overview of policies and practices related to the parent-school relationship in nine countries including Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Considers reasons for involving parents in schools, discusses two types of parental participation in education, and offers…

This series of articles cites a variety of sources and synthesizes a number of studies on the effects of new technologies on the world of work and on social and economic life in general. These studies are related to several industrial nations and are also concerned with the new information-oriented society. (SSH)

Discusses the role of government language and education policies toward immigrant and minority groups, using the situations in Britain, France, and The Netherlands to illustrate the effects of assimilationist and pluralistic solutions. Argues that government policies to achieve social cohesiveness and cultural pluralism often conflict each other.…