This chapter describes the national reform processes of six European countries: Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands and Portugal. The approach opted for here has been to give the voice to the individual university rectors and officials that played an important role during the reform processes. By hearing their stories, we obtain a…

Concise, clear and comprehensive snapshots of vocational education and training systems in EU, Iceland and Norway: this is what the Cedefop Spotlight on VET series offers. Building on individual country Spotlights, this publication provides an overview of VET systems with their distinctive qualities, such as main accession and progression routes…

In the eyes of policy, the transformation of European education systems has become essential. Economically, education change is deemed vital to the successful emergence of knowledge economies. Politically, educational institutions and their cultures are seen as unhelpfully residual, providing a home to beliefs and practices that are not aligned…

In the following paper, I am going to discuss education and religion and consider the legacy of Christianity in education in West Africa with particular reference to the Evangelical churches in Burkina Faso. The paper will start with a general introduction to West Africa and the place of missionaries' activities in the region. I will then attempt…

The Humboldtian educational ideal is based on the idea of the unity of teaching and research in universities ("Einheit von Forschung und Lehre"). The role of the state, according to Humboldt, was to fund universities in such a way that their autonomy was maintained. Much has changed in the funding mechanisms of higher education systems…

Describes the activities of the Societe Financiere de Radiodiffusion (SOFIRAD), a government-owned corporation to promote political, cultural, and business interests via a complex network of media holdings. (PD)

Discusses current activities to revitalize French science and industry and this nation's economy. These include increasing the civil research and development budget nearly 20 percent per year, establishing new links between science and industry, and involving scientists in research policy. (JN)

Describes the French government's plan for a new national library which would be a state-of-the-art showcase and the nation's largest postwar cultural project. The discussion covers plans for the proposed building, the nature of the new library, and the renovation and future role of the existing national library. (CLB)

Examines the impact of teacher unions in two centralized educational systems--France and Israel--on school reforms. Document analysis and interview data suggest that, since 1970, teacher unions in both countries have been demanding and receiving more say in educational policy reforms. Despite similarities in tactics, French unions are more…

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)

Includes "Partnerships, Configurations and Dynamics in the Creation and Development of SMEs [Small and Medium-sized Enterprises] by Researchers: A Study of Academic Entrepreneurs in France" (Mustar); "The Emerging Paradigm for Technology Learning in the Knowledge Society: The Case of Brazil" (Baeta); and "Italian…

Discusses improvements to preschool education in rural France as a result of a 1992 ruling by the Minister of Education. Considers strategies adopted, including peripatetic/itinerant teachers, occasional groupings of very small classes for joint project work, and bringing children together in one setting from three smaller ones. (JPB)

By means of close examination of the records created and accumulated by individual architects and architectural firms in France, this Records and Archives Management Programme (RAMP) study is intended to call attention to the basic documentary values of these architectural records and to provide practical guidance to help ensure their preservation…

A comparative evaluation program of the national cultural policies of European countries was proposed by the Council of Europe in 1985 with a view toward enhanced cooperative action in European cultural policies. These national reviews are comprised of four stages: (1) the preparation of a report by each country with regards to creation,…

Late twentieth-century growth in French universities that undermined centralization and the academic staff resulted in anarchic development until recent governments tried to control the system's evolution. For two years the government has tried to convince universities of the need for decentralization for responsiveness to outside stimulus.…