Notes that over the quarter-century of the Council for Economic Co-operation and Development's Program on Institutional Management in Higher Education (IMHE), study of higher education has developed considerably. New disciplines have emerged, new ideologies have altered perspectives, and higher education's priorities continue to change.…

Suggests that the study of contemporary history can provide a vehicle for testing the validity of theories developed in higher education policy studies. Greater attention to the cultural and historic contexts of higher education, particularly in cross-national studies, is urged. (MSE)