Student political activism remains a key issue in the Third World despite its decline in industrialized nations. The historical development of student politics and student involvement in independence struggles, students' role as incipient elites, and the fragility of the political structures of many Third World nations contribute to the efficacy…

The dilemma of whether to expand higher education systems in Thailand or to curtail enrollments by some means of cut-off or selection at the end of secondary school are discussed. A variety of higher education models in use in the Third World countries are discussed. (Author/MLW)

Guest editors comment on articles chosen for a previous journal issue focusing on the role of higher education and national economic and social development. It is noted that in developing countries, higher education addresses nation-building, whereas in developed countries emphasis is on social and economic change in the postindustrial society.…

Analysis of the historical origins and development of Israel's universities helps understand the phenomenon of transfer and adaptation of Western concepts of higher education in developing countries. Despite major historical changes and the establishment of the Israeli state, the prestate ethos still dominates. (Author/MSE)

The dynamics of the university systems in low income countries have changed drastically in the last three decades, and suggest directions in which higher education might be heading. Financing which depends more heavily on private resources and user contributions is the only feasible approach for reducing existing inefficiency and increasing…

A discussion of the role of universities in Africa's developing nations outlines the problems faced by African countries in transition, delineates role areas for the university, examines problems preventing universities from realizing these roles, and offers suggestions for overcoming these obstacles. (MSE)

Two reports on higher education in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are the basis for an examination of the potential and problems of higher education in developing nations in the southern hemisphere. Ways to improve higher education in these areas using north-south university cooperation are suggested. (Author/MSE)

The case of the University of Dar es Salaam illustrates how the concept of community education has been adapted to meet the needs of a university in a developing society. Community-orientation in terms of teaching, research, and other activities is described, and problems of access, admission, control, and participation are considered. (Author/LBH)

The role of the university in Japan's technological and industrial development is discussed. Problems including the westernization of a non-Western society, coordination between education and industry, the government and freedom of the university, and nationalism and internationalism are described. (Author/MLW)

The relationship between universities and society in Africa is examined. A framework to encompass the desired aims of both the university and society and the relationships between them is formulated. Implications for the structure, content and operation of the university in Africa are indicated. (Author/MLW)

Some instructive experience about the potential and limits of a meaningful role for African universities in the 1980s is discussed. The challenge of the 1980s is to convince African governments and national populations that university contributions to national development lie in the ability to train minds and a thinking society. (Author/MLW)

A discussion of higher education in India looks at the system in comparison to others around the world, its politics, bureaucratic inertia, the institutionalized policy of expansion, the academic profession, funding, the examination system, and the university's role in society. Implications for meaningful reform are examined. (MSE)

The attitudes towards the methods and purposes of tertiary education of faculty and students at a Filipino university are compared. Attitudes about the purposes of a college education, preferences for different modes of learning, and views on faculty and student roles in decision-making related to the instructional process are assessed.…

The emerging role of Kuwait University as a major institution, its position in Kuwait and in the Arab world, and its efforts toward program development and institutional research are discussed. Specific issues in admissions, curriculum emphasis, teaching methods, facilities, staffing, and long-range financial and administrative planning are…

The part the university plays in the building of a nation in the post-independence period is described and illustrated by means of a detailed study of Malaysia. The impact of economic, socio-cultural, and political factors are analyzed and the objectives of higher education in contemporary Malaysia are articulated. (Author/MLW)