International Higher Education, May 1995

New Publications

This column is intended to keep our readers aware of current publications in the field of higher education. We provide a brief description of the listing and indicate the address of the publisher or distributor so that items may be easily obtained. While the preponderance of material listed here is published in the United States or other industrialized nations, we will try to list books published in other parts of the world as well.

The Academic Profession: An International Perspective by Ernest L. Boyer, Philip G. Altbach and Mary Jean Whitelaw (Carnegie Foundation, 1994) 106 pp.

(Available from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 5 Ivy Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540, U.S 1994) $15
This study presents the results of the first comparative research on the academic profession ever undertaken internationally, reflecting the attitudes of scholars in 14 countries. Professoriate views on such topics as academic freedom, teaching and learning, research and administration of higher education are portrayed in this essay. 67 tables are included.

Lene Buchert and Kenneth King. eds., Learning from Experience: Policy and Practice in Aid to Higher Education (The Hague, Netherlands: CESO, 1995), $15.

This collection of essays by experts on Third World higher education is designed to go along with the World Bank's policy paper on higher education, reviewed earlier in this issue. The authors take a critical stance in discussing the World Bank's recommendations. Together, these books constitute a key resourse on higher education and development. Those who order this CESO paperback will receive a free copy of the World Bank publication, entitled Higher Education: The Lessons of Experience. These copies are provided through the courtesy of the World Bank. To order the two books, write to CESO, POB 29777, 2502 LT, The Hague, Netherlands. The price is U.S.$15. Postage charges are $3 additional. Bank charges for those who pay by check are $18. It is possible to order directly through the CESO bank account. Please check with CESO for details.

Orlando Albornoz, The Latin American University Facing the 21st Century (New Delhi, India: Wiley Eastern, 1994), 183 pp. (Available from Wiley Eastern Ltd., 4835/24 Ansari Rd., Daryaganj, New Delhi 110 002, India)

Albornoz, a senior Latin American research scholar, has brought together nine of his essays on various aspects of Latin American higher education. Among the topics are international research trends, educational reform in Venezuela, autonomy and accountability in higher education, and trends in Latin American higher education.

Sue Davies, Cathy Lubelska and Jocey Quinn, eds., Changing the Subject: Women in Higher Education (London: Taylor & Francis, 1994), 215 pp. (paper) (Available from Taylor & Francis, 4 John St., London WC1N 2ET, England).

This volume is sponsored by WHEN (Women in Higher Education Network), a British group focusing on women's issues in higher education. The volume, written from a feminist perspective, deals with a range of issues relating to the role of women in higher education in Britain, although the discussion is relevant to other countries as well. There are three main sections„the experiences of women in higher education, the empowerment of women in higher education, and women challenging the mainstream curriculum in higher education.

Albert H. Yee, ed., East Asian Higher Education: Traditions and Transformations (Oxford, England: Pergamon Press, 1995), 213 pp. (Available from Pergamon Press, The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, England).

This volume is in the new series published in cooperation with the International Association of Universities. It consists of 15 chapters focusing on higher education developments in East Asian countries. There are two chapters on Japan, one of them dealing with the reform of the graduate school at the University of Tokyo and the other with Research and Development in Japanese universities. Other chapters compare Burma and Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, and North and South Korea. Additional chapters focus on Vietnam, Hong Kong, China, the Philippines, and on private higher education in the East Asian region.

Abraham Flexner, Universities: American, English, German (with a new introduction by Clark Kerr) (New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction, 1994), 381 pp. (paper) (Available from Transaction Publishers, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA).

Flexner wrote this classic volume in 1930--it is perhaps the first consciously comparative study in higher education. He is very critical of the American university, observing that the European institutions he writes about are much closer to the traditional ideal of the university than is the much more practical American institution. He decries the new applied fields American universities were adapting. Even though his conclusion seems wrong in the light of the experience of the past half-century, the book is stimulating. Clark Kerr's new introduction brings the argument up to date.