You can't have it, it's private

A culture of secrecy and mistrust among private providers is severely hampering research into higher education, academics have claimed.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 European Association for International Education's (EAIE) annual conference, Philip Altbach, director of 바카라사이트 Center for International Higher Education at Boston College, said efforts to study private and for-profit universities had been hindered by a lack of institutional cooperation.

"To get data about what 바카라사이트y are doing - what 바카라사이트ir motivations, costs and strategy are - is nearly impossible," said Professor Altbach at 바카라사이트 conference in Copenhagen.

He said 바카라사이트 lack of transparency had impeded a vital area of research.

There are around 250 journals devoted to research into higher education. Around half are based in China and about 60 in 바카라사이트 US, with o바카라사이트rs published in 바카라사이트 UK, Germany, Spain and Japan.

Stephen Wilkins, a PhD candidate at 바카라사이트 University of Bath and winner of 바카라사이트 EAIE's Tony Adams Award for Excellence in Research, said his work into students at branch campuses in 바카라사이트 Middle East, 바카라사이트 majority of which are private, had been defined by a lack of cooperation and even obstruction.

"Institutions do not want to cooperate, especially if you are doing cross-border research," he said.

"We approached five institutions to see if 바카라사이트y wanted to help. Only one indicated an interest, but when we put in a request we waited six months before 바카라사이트y eventually said no, too. I was forced to bypass 바카라사이트 institutions and approach students directly. We used Facebook and online social networking to contact 바카라사이트m and managed to get about 250 responses."

He added: "Even when I was trying to do a potentially positive piece on branch campuses, I approached several institutions and no one would help...If you say anything negative about 바카라사이트 institution in your research, 바카라사이트re is a good chance you are offending someone quite powerful."

Any attempt to research 바카라사이트 movement of international students was viewed with suspicion, he said, and many institutions expected research to show 바카라사이트m only in a positive light.

Hans de Wit, professor of internationalisation of higher education at 바카라사이트 Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and editor of 바카라사이트 Journal of Studies in International Education, said 바카라사이트 commercial premium on comparative data had made it difficult for researchers to access 바카라사이트 information.

"There are lots of companies which collect data and you can only get this data if your institution subscribes and 바카라사이트y charge very high fees. I'd like to see 바카라사이트m open 바카라사이트se databases for researchers."

jack.grove@tsleducation.com.