Learning to Compete in European Universities: From Social Institution to Knowledge Business

'One of the most attractive features of the book is that chapters are mostly written by well known experts in the field...This is a book that has much to offer scholars researching the changing role of universities, for managers in universities facing the reality of competitive pressures, as well as policy-makers caught up in the "knowledge business" game. The editors have done an excellent job highlighting different aspects of how this game is currently being played.' - Helen Lawton Smith, Papers in Regional Science. 'A compilation of informed and informative articles and essays on how and why changes are occurring in European university systems as they adapt to compete with each other as they evolve from government-funded social institutions to capitalism-based "knowledge business" models. Deftly edited by the team of Maureen McKelvey and Magnus Holmen, Learning to Compete in European Universities is enhanced with the inclusion of numerous tables and figures and a comprehensive index, making it a seminal work of scholarship and a strongly recommended addition to academic library educational studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.' - The Midwest Book Review. This book addresses the critical issue of how and why European universities are changing and learning to compete. Anglo-Saxon universities particularly in the US, the UK and Australia have long been subject to, and responded to, market-based competition in higher education. The authors argue that Continental and Nordic universities and higher education institutes are now facing similar pressures that are leading to a structural transformation of the university sector. Four important themes are addressed, namely 'Emergent Strategies', 'Diversification and Specialization', 'Rethinking University-Industry Relations' and 'Reflections'. Contributors include Luke Georghiou writing about the merger between The Victoria University of Manchester and UMIST; Andrea Bonaccorsi writing about differentiation in higher education; and Maryann Feldman writing about American technology transfer. Thus, the book provides a timely and critical reflection on what happens, as European universities transform from government-funded social institutions to become knowledge businesses operating in a competitive regime. This study will appeal to a broad audience of researchers, academics and policymakers with an interest in understanding the major transformations universities are currently undergoing. Regardless of whether one believes that increasing competition has positive or negative effects, the changes will undoubtedly affect both academics and students. These transformations will also influence the ability of nations to compete in the global knowledge society.

Table of Contents:
Contributors: M. Benner, A. Bonaccorsi, S.M. Breznitz, A. Brostrom, R. Cowan, W.B. Cowan, E. Deiaco, M.P. Feldman, L. Georghiou, A.M. Gren, O. Hallonsten, M. Holmen, M. Johansson, F. Lissoni, D. Ljungberg, P. Llerena, M. Magnusson, M. McKelvey, G. Melin, B. Sanditov, C. Sandstrom, M. Versiglioni