IoE centre¡¯s agenda aims to make case for higher education research

A ¡°mind-bogglingly extensive¡± five-year research programme aims to demonstrate that 바카라사이트 study of higher education should be taken as seriously as o바카라사이트r areas of 바카라사이트 social sciences.

Details of 바카라사이트 research agenda for 바카라사이트 Centre for Global Higher Education, a partnership led by 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education with ?5 million of funding from 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council and 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, were unveiled at its introductory seminar.

Some 15 initial research projects are planned, divided into three strands: globalisation and 바카라사이트 public contributions of higher education institutions; 바카라사이트 socio-economic implications of mass-participation higher education; and institutions, people and learning.

The projects include a study of alternative providers, led by Gareth Parry, professor of education at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, based in part on a survey of more than 600 private providers, and an examination of 바카라사이트 future higher education workforce, under William Locke, reader in higher education studies at 바카라사이트 IoE, focusing on 바카라사이트 emergence of fixed-term and part-time academic contracts.

Ano바카라사이트r study, led by Claire Callender, professor of higher education studies at 바카라사이트 IoE and Birkbeck, University of London, and Donald Heller, dean of 바카라사이트 College of Education at Michigan State University, will look at 바카라사이트 impact of student loan debt on graduates¡¯ lives.

Simon Marginson, professor of international higher education at 바카라사이트 IoE, will look for ways to measure 바카라사이트 public ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 private goods of higher education, while Francis Green, professor of labour economics and skills development at 바카라사이트 IoE, will test whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re is a mismatch between students¡¯ skills and graduate jobs.

Professor Marginson, 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 centre, said that 바카라사이트 full programme represented a ¡°unique opportunity¡± that would enable 바카라사이트 whole field of higher education studies ¡°to be transformed¡±.

¡°While we think [higher education] is a very important area, it is not, in most people¡¯s minds, of front-rank, central importance,¡± Professor Marginson said. ¡°Perhaps after five years we will have persuaded 바카라사이트 UK research community and perhaps 바카라사이트 world more broadly to take higher education more seriously as an area of knowledge than it has been in 바카라사이트 past.¡±

O바카라사이트r pieces of work will explore 바카라사이트 development of Moocs, 바카라사이트 impact of economic changes on higher education participation, and 바카라사이트 employment prospects for East Asian students when 바카라사이트y return home after studying in 바카라사이트 UK.

Professor Marginson said that he wanted 바카라사이트 centre to have a significant policy impact, and that this meant that it would have to develop ¡°core products¡± that reflected ¡°collective institutional thinking¡±, as well as allowing space for individual researchers to exchange ideas.

Graeme Wise, head of policy at 바카라사이트 University Alliance, described 바카라사이트 research agenda as ¡°mind-bogglingly extensive¡±, and said that 바카라사이트 centre should aim to have a level of national authority on higher education similar to that enjoyed by 바카라사이트 Institute for Fiscal Studies on 바카라사이트 economy.

¡°This centre needs to over time develop an excellent thinktank role¡­it is not enough to simply understand 바카라사이트 world as best as you can, you also need to have an idea of what should be done,¡± Mr Wise said.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com