International Higher Education, May 1995

The Boston College Center for International Higher Education:
A New Initiative in Higher Education

Higher education is an international enterprise. Academic institutions face similar problems, and international trends affect colleges and universities everywhere. The organization, traditions, and many of the practices of universities are similar worldwide. Perhaps only the Roman Catholic Church has a longer historical tradition, one that continues to affect the ethos and organization of the institution as deeply. Further, contemporary trends in information technology, the increasing globalization of science, and of the economy, ever-expanding flows of students and faculty across borders, and the growing use of English as the international language of scientific communication all strengthen the internationalization of higher education.

The Boston College Center for International Higher Education works in a series of concentric circles. At the core of the enterprise is the Jesuit community of postsecondary institutions - with special emphasis on the issues that affect institutions in developing countries. The next ring of the circle is made up of academic institutions in the Catholic tradition. Finally, other academic institutions as well as governmental agencies concerned with higher education may participate in the activities of the Center. All of the CenterÍs publications are available to a wide audience.

Boston College
Boston College is an ideal location for the Center, with many advantages as a forum for international higher education activity. Boston College is internationally recognized as one of the top Catholic academic institutions in the world. With a student enrollment of 14,500 and 604 full-time faculty, it provides a wealth of academic resources, including an outstanding library, and access to a regional library consortium. B.C. has a long tradition of teaching and research in the field of higher education, and the Center is located in the Program in Higher Education in the School of Education. The School of Education is currently ranked 16th in the United States in terms of quality. The Boston area is also an excellent locale for higher education activities because of the more than fifty colleges and universities, including Harvard and M.I.T., that are located here. The region is also home to a large number of other cultural and intellectual institutions.

Programs and Resources
The Boston College Center for International Higher Education has as its purpose the stimulation of an international consciousness among Jesuit and other institutions concerning issues of higher education and the provision of documentation and analysis relating to higher education development. The following activities form the core of the Center's activities during its initial period of development.

• Newsletter A newsletter is issued quarterly reporting international activities and initiatives of interest to the Jesuit higher education community, and to a broader university audience, as well as publishing short articles concerning relevant activities in the world of higher education. The newsletter also features short reviews of current books, guides to relevant journals in higher education, and occasional analyses of internationally relevant issues.
• Publication series A key activity of the Center is an ongoing publication series. Its purpose is to provide to the higher education community international access to key thinking on current issues in higher education. Each publication focuses on a specific theme, such as budget and finance of higher education, academic freedom and academic responsibility, or the academic profession, and brings together the best available data, analysis, and opinion on the topic through a careful selection of articles, reports, and book chapters.
• Study opportunities The Center provides opportunities for study in the field of higher education. It is anticipated that a small number of mid-level or senior administrators at participating Jesuit institutions, and perhaps colleagues from other academic institutions, may wish to come to Boston College to undertake studies in the field of higher education. The Center, through the Program in Higher Education, offers a variety of study possibilities. Degree study at the M.A. or Ph.D. level is one option. Non-formal study is also possible. Colleagues may come to the Center for periods of time ranging from a few weeks to a semester or more.
• Conferences International conferences focusing on key substantive topics for participating colleagues from Jesuit institutions worldwide and from institutions beyond the Jesuit community are part of the Center's programmatic focus. These conferences are designed around themes of relevance to participating institutions.
• Bibliographical and document service The Center provides a special resource to its participants by keeping abreast of the current literature in higher education worldwide, and providing overviews of research and analysis on specific topics through the newsletter. It also provides tailored bibliographical and document retrieval services.
• Networking and information technology The Center coordinates an e-mail/fax network among colleagues in participating Jesuit academic institutions.