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Most countries have experienced soaring enrolment rates into tertiary education. While this is beneficial both to involved students and to knowledge-based societies, it also makes the funding issue even more crucial than it is usually seen to be. This paper presents first results from an analysis of the effectiveness of student loans as a funding strategy using unique student-level data from Finland. The focus is on the effect of student loans on the likelihood of graduation, as well as on the socioeconomic background dimension of such an effect. We find no evidence in support of the latter effect being significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how university leaders in Finland implement quality management in their respective institutions. The study uses a modified model of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence Model as a theoretical base in eliciting information on quality management strategies from the senior academic leaders in these universities. The main objective of the study is to explore the different management approaches in quality improvement in university management as perceived by the leaders. The study has made use of administration questionnaires and interviews as methods of data collection. Although the findings show many approaches to quality improvement in university management, one of the conclusions emerging from the study is that Finnish responses to their management styles may serve as inspiration for other universities especially with regard to quality control and leadership styles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2006, an international comparison study investigated the organization and management of university continuing education (UCE). The Finnish continuing education system proved to be especially advanced in this study. On the other hand, it became clear that Germany was still lagging behind in continuing education. In this article, German and Finnish universities are compared with respect to organizational forms and management structures in order to derive potentials for UCE and to identify decisive factors of success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This multiple case study features interviews with forty-two migrant scholars, from twenty-seven countries, in five Finnish universities. In Finland, an aging, culturally homogeneous population is experiencing a rapidly transforming labour force and uncertainties about migration dynamics. This analysis illuminates a surprising degree of stratification, in a society normally associated with the absence of stratification. The framework presented in this study draws on higher education theory to highlight tensions between societal expectations of equity, in an age of global academic capitalism. The implications for stakeholders center on assessing higher education's capacity for explaining change within higher education, as well as society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines accreditation as a component of the Bologna Process quality policy. The focus is on an analysis of the concept of accreditation in policy documents from four countries (Finland, the Netherlands, France and Sweden). The article focuses on the following questions: (i) how does accreditation appear, as a concept and as action, in national reports, produced for the purposes of the Ministerial meetings?; and (ii) how is accreditation presented, as a concept and as action, in the national context and for national actors? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the traditional assumption that higher education evaluation systems follow a similar global format. Comparative study examines institutional evaluation and assessment processes in two nation-states that are geographically and economically remote but which, historically, share a common civic perspective. The main research question of the study is: What are the similarities and differences in the social functions of evaluation and assessment between these two countries, the models of evaluation of which originate from the same ‘homogeneous model of institutional evaluation’? The study demonstrates that Finnish and Argentine models of evaluation are nationally and contextually bound by general ideas rather than being applications of a global model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

|spagf|it|epagf|The Bologna train is running at full speed. The next stop at ministerial level is the Berlin follow-up meeting to be held on 18-19 September 2003. This article is an attempt to investigate the background to the Bologna Process, which, with all the haste, has remained rather obscure. It examines how the educational policy of the EEC/EU has reached a stage at which one can speak of a European Higher Education Area with reference to the concepts of harmonization and the Bologna Process. It will also examine possible future scenarios, focusing particularly on the Finnish situation. Why has Finland been so keen to embark on reforms? What does Finnish higher education policy aim to achieve through the Bologna Process, and what does it stand to gain from it?|spagf|ro|epagf| [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bilingual policies of the University of Puerto Rico are described in the context of bilingualism in Puerto Rico as a whole, given that the second language, English, was a relatively recent imposition coming after several centuries of thorough Hispanization. Although Puerto Rico is profoundly Hispanic in terms of both language and culture, its people understand the need to be proficient in English. Thus the University of Puerto Rico is taking many steps to make sure that its students become proficient in both Spanish and English. A number of programmes are described, and the results in terms of improved knowledge of English, in particular, are detailed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many years, Finland has been known as a country that promotes gender equality in all walks of life, particularly in the domain of higher education. Yet here, too, women academics encounter the glass ceiling and subtle forms of gender discrimination. In particular, the author cites the practice of filling professorships by invitation rather than by open competition as one that discriminates against women. It seems that the Finnish gender equality law of 1987, although certainly well intentioned, fails to provide for appropriate sanctions for poor compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most countries have experienced soaring enrolment rates into tertiary education. While this is beneficial both to involved students and to knowledge-based societies, it also makes the funding issue even more crucial than it is usually seen to be. This paper presents first results from an analysis of the effectiveness of student loans as a funding strategy using unique student-level data from Finland. The focus is on the effect of student loans on the likelihood of graduation, as well as on the socioeconomic background dimension of such an effect. We find no evidence in support of the latter effect being significant. (Contains 1 table, 4 figures and 6 footnotes.)

While higher education is regarded a high priority for economic development in many countries, public budgets often fall short to support desired levels of expansion in higher education. This leads to cost-sharing: students and their families are required to contribute more to the costs of higher education. This paper explores worldwide trends to cope with this issue based on the following questions: Is it fair to ask for larger contributions from students? What are the global patterns and forms of higher private shares in the costs of higher education? And what is the impact of cost-sharing on higher education access and equity? (Contains 4 tables and 2 footnotes.)

This paper investigates how university leaders in Finland implement quality management in their respective institutions. The study uses a modified model of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence Model as a theoretical base in eliciting information on quality management strategies from the senior academic leaders in these universities. The main objective of the study is to explore the different management approaches in quality improvement in university management as perceived by the leaders. The study has made use of administration questionnaires and interviews as methods of data collection. Although the findings show many approaches to quality improvement in university management, one of the conclusions emerging from the study is that Finnish responses to their management styles may serve as inspiration for other universities especially with regard to quality control and leadership styles. (Contains 1 table.)