E-grāmata: Assessing the Contributions of Higher Education: Knowledge for a Disordered World

A vital and timely contribution to a debate that is rising in intensity around the world with big implications for higher education. Across 14 chapters, 18 authors collectively and individually explore what higher education does for persons, organisations, communities, cities, nations and the worldwhat difference does it make [ and] and how do we know" [ ...] In conclusion, Assessing the Contributions of Higher Education is a giant step forwardpulling all the diverse pieces together and helping us understand the whole picture. That is exactly the role of scholarly endeavour. -- Ellen Hazelkorn, Higher Education: The International Journal of Higher Education Research Apart from providing improved knowledge about the contributions of higher education, Assessing the Contributions of Higher Education widens discussions on conceptual, theoretical and empirical aspects of the contribution of higher education to human welfare. It will serve as an invaluable read for all on the role of higher education in development. -- Jandhyala B.G. Tilak, Review of Development and Change The debate about the contributions of higher education for individuals and societies has been dominated by those aspects associated with the labour market's participation of more qualified individuals and the expansion of wealth and income derived from the creation and dissemination of knowledge. Despite their importance, the excessive attention to those benefits has induced a tropism that has narrowed academic and policy debates about the multiple and complex roles that higher education institutions can play in the betterment of their communities. The authors of this volume should be commended for their important effort to develop a broader and more fruitful dialogue among social scientists and policy-makers about those contributions. Their achievement is also a reminder of the need for more interdisciplinary approaches to understand complex social phenomena. -- Pedro Nuno Teixeira, University of Porto, Portugal and former Director of CIPES Center for Research in Higher Education Policies If the legitimacy of higher education is to be maintained in the face of increasingly hostile questioning, it is essential that its contributions to societies are opened up to critical scrutiny so that they can be enhanced and more widely recognised. This engaging and insightful book does a great service to the field by beginning this important work. -- Paul Ashwin, Lancaster University, UK This book takes readers on a world tour to make a compelling case that higher education has made a significant difference and for some countries, the contributions have been underestimated. The set of authors who are situated across different national contexts present fresh data and analyses to recognize and conceptualize both local and global contributions of higher education. At the same time, the authors are aware that the full potential of higher education has not yet been fully realized and make clear the challenges moving forward for both policymakers and scholars of higher education. Readers will appreciate the deep analyses and insightful observations offered here on a global scale not just for celebrating the contributions of higher education to justify future investment but also for offering different paths forward to account for and address global challenges to maximize the return on that investment. -- Mitchell J. Chang, University of California, Los Angeles, US