Universities and the emerging new players: Building futures for higher education

Attila Havas

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: Universities are long-established organisations, and although reinvented themselves several times, major reforms are needed again, underpinned by systematic prospective analyses. A novel method is needed to take into account the wide-ranging and complex factors, shaping the future of the higher education system. ‘Futures’ should be devised in a multi-level structure as the bulk of trends and driving forces are international in their nature and universities are embedded in broader socio-economic systems. This new approach is demonstrated here by devising ‘cascading’ futures for the EU, the European Research and Innovation Area and universities. Several advantages can be expected from this type of prospective analysis: (i) the potential changes of these broader settings, in which universities operate, as well as their impacts on higher education can be explored; (ii) the huge diversity of higher education systems and individual universities can be reflected; and (iii) the likely impacts of different policy options can also be explored. It is also proposed to select foresight programmes from the ‘prospective toolkit’, given their specific features and benefits compared to other prospective methods.

Keywords: Higher education; Multiple futures in a multi-level structure; Foresight; Prospective analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D8 D83 I23 I28 O30 O38 O52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008-12-23
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Published in Technology Analysis & Strategic Management 3.21(2009): pp. 425-443

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