Overview
- First systematic comparative investigation of higher education developments across the BRICS region
- Pursues a novel approach by looking, in-depth, to a select number of key dimensions underpinning the role of higher education in society and economy
- Analyses the complex interplay between numerous internal and external factors impacting on higher education dynamics across the BRICS
- Provides unique empirical and conceptual insights of relevance to policy makers, institutional managers and social science researchers alike
- Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
Part of the book series: Higher Education Dynamics (HEDY, volume 44)
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About this book
In spite of the increasing attention attributed to the rise in prominence of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries, few studies have looked at the ways in which broader social expectations with respect to the role of higher education across the BRICS have changed, or not, in recent years. Our point of departure is that, contrary to the conventional wisdom focusing on functionalistic perspectives, higher education systems are not just designed by governments to fulfill certain functions, but have a tendency for evolving in a rather unpredictable fashion as a result of the complex interplay between a number of internal and external factors. In reality, national higher education systems develop and change according to a complex process that encompasses the expectations of governmental agencies, markets, the aspirations of the population for the benefits of education, the specific institutional traditions and cultures of higher education institutions, and,increasingly so, the interests and strategies of the private firms entering and offering services in the higher education market. This basically means that it is of outmost importance to move away from conceiving of "universities" or "higher education" as single, monolithic actors or sector. One way of doing this is by investigating a selected number of distinct, but nonetheless interrelated factors or drivers, which, taken together, help determine the nature and scope of the social compact between higher education (its core actors and institutions) and society at large (government, industry, local communities, professional associations).
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Keywords
Table of contents (25 chapters)
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Thematic Summaries
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Supply and Demand
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The Role of Stakeholders
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Government Policy
Reviews
“The book is highly recommended for scholars and students who major in or are interested in comparative education and higher education. Moreover, it should be of interest to policy makers and institutional leaders who want to benefit from the insights and policies of BRICS countries. The work of this volume marks an effective opening for future BRICS higher education studies.” (Shuhua Liu, Higher Education, Vol. 71, 2016)
Editors and Affiliations
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Higher Education in the BRICS Countries
Book Subtitle: Investigating the Pact between Higher Education and Society
Editors: Simon Schwartzman, Rómulo Pinheiro, Pundy Pillay
Series Title: Higher Education Dynamics
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9570-8
Publisher: Springer Dordrecht
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Education (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015
Hardcover ISBN: 978-94-017-9569-2Published: 01 April 2015
Softcover ISBN: 978-94-024-0014-4Published: 09 October 2016
eBook ISBN: 978-94-017-9570-8Published: 24 March 2015
Series ISSN: 1571-0378
Series E-ISSN: 2215-1923
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XVI, 493
Number of Illustrations: 60 b/w illustrations
Topics: Higher Education, International and Comparative Education, Sociology of Education