Drawing upon data on the entire population of French STEM PhD students, we explore the factors leading PhDs to pursue independent research from their supervisors during the PhD and how independence links to their career outcomes. We find that independence is significantly associated with students' and supervisors' characteristics. Moreover,…

The results of a 3-year fieldwork study within France's National Centre for Distance Education are presented, specifically detailing the impacts on higher education middle management overseeing curricula design for a series of French 3-year degree programs undergoing revision in how students are financially charged for the programs. Following the…

This article describes the discovery of action research by a "conscious incompetent" in higher education. The influences on the development of an action researcher's individual philosophy are discussed. These shape a specific investigation into the implementation of international staff exchange in a post-1992 UK university from the…

This study analyzed whether research collaboration patterns differ across higher education systems based on maturity of the systems, their language, and their geographical region. This study found that collaboration patterns differ across higher education systems: academics in developed systems are more collaborative than their colleagues in…

This contribution shows the conditions of a change of prospect in higher education which is based on institutional and policy positioning in favor of the implementation of the devices of Validation of Acquired Experience (VAE) which is used to deliver a whole or components of a qualification (certification) on the basis of the knowledge and skills…

Smaller universities may produce research which is on a par with larger, elite establishments. This is confirmed by a recently developed mathematical model, supported by data from British and French higher education research-evaluation exercises. The detailed nature of the UK system, in particular, allows quantification of the notion of critical…

A Chinese list of the world's top universities would seem an unlikely concern for French politicians. But this year, France's legislature took aim at the annual rankings produced by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which claims to list the 500 best universities in the world. The highest-ranked French entry, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie, comes in…

This article presents the findings of a qualitative study conducted by the author on the implications of e-learning programmes for the higher education systems of the member states of the European Union. The study takes a look behind the scenes of the eLearning Programme and other e-learning actions within other European programmes by tapping into…

The paper provides a historical analysis of the evolution of PE teacher education (PETE) in France since the end of the nineteenth century. It highlights three main points: the progressive unification and integration into university structures, the implementation of scientific research within the structures of PETE and the creation of a specific…

The situation of "collective aging" of the academic staff in universities and research institutes caused by the skew age distribution and the zero-growth budgets in nearly all European countries is discussed. Possible policies to palliate the negative effects are considered along with support for junior staff with temporary contracts or…

The purpose of this directory is to help make known the capacity of experts in library history and to strengthen international cooperation that will help develop library history as an academic discipline. The directory is a compilation of responses to a questionnaire sent to the experts themselves. It is organized by country, and it includes the…

The time available to teachers for research is examined in several countries by comparing the availability and conditions of study leave, lengths of vacation, and the number of teaching "contract" hours required of teachers. Some differences exist in actual term time and study leave for research. (SW)

This paper examines France's attempts, difficulties, and issues related to developing a new collaborative relationship between university-based researchers and school-based practitioners and a new evaluative policy that includes social partners. The first section of the paper introduces the theoretical background and methodology of the study. The…

In France the creation of Instituts Universitaires de Formation des Maitres (IUFMs), university institutes of teacher education, has revived the question of the role of research in teacher education. The IUFM is not part of a university and does not have the same status. It has to negotiate a contract with a university. The importance of research…

The way in which changes in overall university funding can affect systems for paying staff, and in turn affect faculty career patterns and mobility, is examined. Data on pay, responsibilities, and qualifications of different faculty ranks in 8 countries (Sweden, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, United States) are compared. (MSE)