A culturally versatile method to identify perceived desirable characteristics of cities as places to work and live is proposed. Results of a study with graduate students in Brazil show that there are four major categories of attributes (population, economic, cultural, and physical) that could be used as incentives. (Author/LBH)

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.…

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)

This paper describes the current system of university finance in Botswana and considers alternative options, including the introduction of student loans. A Presidential Commission in 1990 recommended that the present Bursary system be reorganized into a grant/loan system, but this proposal has not yet been implemented. (DB)

Implications of British government policy decisions for cooperation with universities in developing countries are described. Governmental methods of organizing technical assistance are seen as expensive in terms of cost and staff time and unsuited to institution-to-institution collaboration, which is essential if aid programs are to be effective.…

The work of universities in developing countries is reviewed. Closer links between the school and university systems are recommended with a view to improving teacher education, the creation of school curricula more relevant to current needs, and flexibility in relation to admission to postsecondary education. (Author/MLW)

An overview of recent history of Nigerian higher education chronicles periods of phenomenal expansion, economic downturn and retrenchment, monitoring of efficiency and academic standards, continued uncontrolled expansion in the absence of basic facilities, recently improved fiscal management, revival of student aid, and proposals for the opening…

The Venezuelan higher education system is described, and the principal efficiency, equity, and management issues are examined, especially for public universities. A pattern of explosive growth followed by recurrent funding crises has been a recent development. Strong resistance to change despite evident current shortcomings is characteristic.…

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)

A study examined Ghana's official response to criticism of university efficiency, a budgeting system intended to reform funding mechanisms. Analysis revealed that the new policy resulted in an input-based model that neglected outcome measures, potentially causing reduced, rather than enhanced, efficiency. Lessons learned and implications for both…

The assumption that there is no alternative to the university as the producer of high level manpower, through professional studies or courses in the social sciences and humanities, is questioned. Precareer professional studies are seen as an unsatisfactory compromise between the traditional university and the professional apprenticeship.…

The way in which the University of Botswana went about building the consensus necessary to develop a new administrative and management structure is described. The process began with a commission review to address increasing demand, and progressed to recommendations, governing council response, a task force for reorganization, and implementation.…

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)