In assessing the current and future role of universities in the nation-states in which they are chartered and funded, it is useful to ask, When are universities societal leaders as societal and constructive change agents, and when are they followers, reinforcing the existing political order? As discussed in the book, "Neo-Nationalism and…

This paper retraces the evolution of the relationships between higher education institutions, the state and the academic profession in France since the French Revolution on the one hand and the parallel evolution of the societal expectations for their roles and missions, on the other. It in particular highlights the divide between the universities…

In 2007, Kenya erupted into violence as a result of heavily contested elections. Because identity divisions lay at the heart of the conflict, the nation's public universities were deeply impacted, at times pitting students, faculty, and staff against one another, and disrupting the ability of Kenyan higher education to contribute to the…

Major issues that emerged in the interplay of higher education and society in the 1960s and are relevant today are considered in a newsletter article. It is noted that the social movements of the 1960s that began on the campus continue to fundamentally change society, and these changes will also force higher education to play a different role in…

This book on the University of Central America Jose Simeon Canas (UCA) in El Salvador reviews its history, its establishment, its work for social change, and the consequent 1989 assassination of six Jesuit priests and two women. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the text and a description and discussion of the November 16, 1989 assassination.…

The Hegelian model of society as an organism is used to analyze what makes multicultural societies healthy or unhealthy, how to make the transition from one to the other, and potential roles for educational and political systems in that process. Discussion focuses on the American southwest. (Author/MSE)

In responding to political, social, and ethical issues, college trustees have three essential responsibilities: (1) to examine critical trends and influences outside the institution; (2) to translate this knowledge into institutional policy; and (3) to monitor the institution's social, political, and ethical performance through recurrent…

The state of future studies and the significance of futures thinking for higher education are considered. It is suggested that the future studies arena is not very large or well-organized and that it has not been growing, in part because it does not fit well into academe. Basic themes of future studies are described as an axis of contention…

The success of higher education depends upon its steering clear of political involvements, but in Latin America this appears to be different. There institutions of higher learning are inextricably wedded to politics and political movements. This article reviews and analyzes higher education and politics in Latin America. (Author)

In Rumania, currently, change is rapid at the level of social doctrine because the people never really accepted Communism. However, at the level of cultural and academic life, fundamental changes will be slower. Content, methods, goals, and teachers of the universities will have to be renewed and reoriented. (MSE)

The likely alternative futures that higher education may face in the next decade are discussed, and suggestions for developing a strategic planning capability in response are offered. It is argued that major demographic, economic, and political disruptions are likely in the 1980s. Demographic trends that will have a major impact on higher…

The success of British higher education in broadening its academic, social, and cultural roles may have begun to undermine the considerable solidarity and autonomy of the academic profession, with its values and privileges under more sustained attack than anywhere in Europe. (MSE)

The progress of postapartheid curriculum in South Africa's universities is examined, beginning with examination of the apartheid legacy in higher education and proceeding to the politics of changes in national educational policy. It is concluded that, despite efforts to change policy at the national level, universities have done little to…

The university in Latin America has always been a dynamic and changing institution. One of the university's roles is to produce free and universal individuals, who are capable of thinking, deciding, and acting on their own, and are possessors of an inner freedom that liberates them of all types of prejudice. In its role as intellectual…

Analyzes interviews with 44 Mexicans representative of industry, government, and the National Autonomous University of Mexico concerning modernization, industrialization, and technology transfer in the context of higher education. Although all supported an active role for higher education in technology transfer in public statements, they were…