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The Dual Roles of Higher Education Institutions in the Knowledge Economy

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Globalization and Change in Higher Education

Abstract

This chapter discusses the dual roles of higher education institutions, as recipients of higher education policy and as agents for change in the knowledge economy. Primarily, they are recipients of policy change influenced at the European level. Second, they are agents of policy change in the knowledge-based economy, which is of increasing importance in the twenty-first century. This is a new kind of regional integration, influenced by Europeanization and intergovernmentalism in higher education policy, with the ultimate objectives of achieving (1) economic competitiveness and (2) social cohesion through a system of higher educational qualifications and their international recognition. The success of the European Commission’s study-abroad program, Erasmus, is discussed as a component of the Bologna Process, which has incorporated mobility objectives for higher education. The opportunity for greater mobility in international education corresponds with the ongoing trends in globalization.

The Europe we are building up is not only the one of the euro, of the banks and of the economy; it must be a Europe of knowledge as well. We must strengthen and build upon the intellectual, cultural, social and technical dimensions of our continent. These have to a large extent been shaped by its universities, which continue to play a pivotal role for their development.

The Sorbonne Declaration (excerpt), May 25, 1998

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  1. University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA

    Beverly Barrett

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Barrett, B. (2017). The Dual Roles of Higher Education Institutions in the Knowledge Economy. In: Globalization and Change in Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52368-2_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52368-2_4

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