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With the understanding that universities play multiple social purposes, we aimed to provide an estimation of the economic impact of the public universities in South Africa. Using models described in the literature, we estimated economic benefits from four university activities -- university exports, research at universities, the production of graduates and universities as business entities. Comparative analysis shows that, as an economic sector, Higher Education contributes more to South Africa's gross value added than other economic sectors such as Wood and Wood Products, Textiles, Clothing and Leather Goods, or Paper and Paper Products. It is comparable to sectors such as Gold Mining, and Beverages and Tobacco. Taking into account a number of assumptions, which are explained in the text, for 2018 the total economic impact was estimated at about ZAR513 billion. Governmental expenditure on higher education in that year was ZAR66 billion. These figures produce a cost--benefit ratio for the sector of 1 : 7.7, considering only these four university activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evidence deployed in the policy process is often done so from sources hoping to shape policy along preconceived ideological lines. This chapter presents the data and research cited as evidence in tuition‐free community legislation proposed and enacted by 10 states, along with the sources that produced this evidence when applicable. Results suggest that partisan control of state legislation dictates the type of evidence deployed in support of tuition‐free legislation, with conservative legislation emphasizing the economic impacts of the anticipated increased education, and progressive legislation noting the inequitable outcome with the current financial structure of higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Altmetrics are claimed to measure the scientific, societal, educational, technological and economic impacts of science. They have some of these dimensions in common with university ranking and evaluating systems. Their results are, therefore, expected to be partially convergent with the systems'. Given the importance of the scientific and non-scientific impacts of science, this study investigated the correlations of universities' altmetrics with their total and dimensional scores in Nature Index, Leiden, Times Higher Education (THE) and Quacquarelli Symonds (QS). Methodology: Following a correlational design, it explored an available sample of the universities commonly ranked in the systems in 2017. The data were collected from online documents using checklists and analysed by the Spearman correlation. As Altmetric Attention Score (ASS) is efficient in that it integrates several indicators into a single one, it was used as the proxy of the universities' social performance. Findings: The universities showed significant positive correlations between their ASSs and their performance scores on the total and dimensional levels, except for industry income in THE, with an insignificant correlation, and proportion of collaborative publication less than 100 km. in Leiden, with an inverse correlation. The correlations ranged from weak to marginally strong. Conclusion: The positive relationships between the universities' performance and ASSs signified that there existed some similarities in what they measured. However, they were of weak-to-marginally strong powers, implying that the metrics differed in what they measured. The findings contribute to the existing knowledge by providing some evidence of convergence between university-level altmetrics and university performances in various dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contemporary policy discussions on higher education, the idea that this environment is in danger of becoming isolated from the world, ignoring the wishes and needs of society at large, is a constant background. From a historical point of view, it is mostly true that the academic spectrum has been rather impermeable in both directions: the knowledge generated and transmitted within it was very little based on the outside world and less concerned with its application to the problems of the outside world. In the globalised world of the 21st century, this kind of impermeability is no longer possible. The expansion of higher education systems in all regions has brought new socio-economic groups into the educational environment, with a greater diversity of cultures, levels of academic preparation, and expectations. In order to gain a better insight into the topic, we used an examination approach by overlaying information from different sources of exploration and analyzing the level of comparability over time. This paper examined the main characteristics of education as a pillar for defining human capital and its effects on academia. The findings are explained in the conclusion section, but it is mandatory to specify one conclusion regarding the fact that the costs of academic expansion have also led to increased pressure from governments to justify state funding, a justification that is usually couched in terms of direct and measurable social and economic impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the transformations in research and higher education within the context of neoliberalism and capitalist globalization. It explores the historical background of crises, such as ecological, economic, and social, and their impact on knowledge transformations. It discusses the integration of knowledge production and distribution into the capitalist system, the emphasis on market creation and entrepreneurialism, and the changes in university management practices.

What are the economic consequences of college noncompletion? Given escalating student debt, is "some college" still worth it? This article applies augmented inverse probability weighting to the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 to estimate the causal effect of college noncompletion on income and financial hardship. Although noncompletion yields higher income than never attending college, it also increases financial hardship among more-disadvantaged groups through the mechanism of student debt. However, noncompleters of most groups would have had greater income and experienced less financial hardship had they graduated. Such contradictions complicate equalization and reproduction theories of higher education because higher education appears to have both equalizing (in the case of completion) and reproductive (in the case of noncompletion) effects. I argue this ambiguity is substantively meaningful, suggesting future research should examine whether the production of ambiguity constitutes a key social function of higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the recent growth of experiential learning (EL) and the university-community (or so-called town-gown, TG) connections created as a result of this expansion. The research is framed by critical scholarship on the nature and role of the university and the place of liberal education specifically, as well as policy drivers aimed at social and economic impacts from EL. Two subthemes are also examined: first, the role of the arts, humanities and social sciences disciplines in EL expansion and, second, the extent to which TG connections focus on the university's local host community as opposed to more distant and even international arrangements. Mixed research methods including public document analysis and key informant interviews are used to document and interpret EL developments across nine varied universities in Ontario, Canada. The results underline broad sector commitment to EL that in turn creates new and different TG connections for the university. Rapid expansion has brought a variety of challenges identified both by universities and community EL partners. The paper concludes with discussion of policy implications and consideration of the future of EL in light of the 'digital pivot' of the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lockdowns imposed around the world to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus and its variants had a differential impact on economic activity and jobs owing to differences in the ability to work remotely. This paper presents a new index of the feasibility to work from home to investigate which types of jobs are most at risk for 35 advanced and emerging market economies. Cross-country heterogeneity in the ability to work remotely reflects differential access to and use of technology, sectoral mix, and occupational selection. Workers least likely to work remotely tend to be young, without a college education, working for non-standard contracts, employed in smaller firms, and those at the bottom of the earnings distribution, suggesting that the pandemic has exacerbated inequality. Policies should account for demographic and distributional considerations both during the crisis and in its aftermath. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess higher education institutions' (HEIs) social sustainability by applying Integrated Social Value (ISV) analysis to eight universities belonging to the Catalan Association of Public Universities in Spain. Design/methodology/approach: ISV analysis is a social accounting methodology that considers both the economic value and the social value created for all the organisation's stakeholders through a participatory and systematic process. Findings: The authors have shown that ISV analysis can be effective to assess the impacts on social sustainability of HEIs. The monetised results facilitate understanding about the valued impacts and allow integration with the universities' financial data. Research limitations/implications: The research advances the under-researched topic of social sustainability assessment in higher education. Practical implications: Quantifying universities' social impacts in monetary terms may help to transform conventional financial accounting and improve HEIs' internal strategy and management according to sustainability principles. Social implications: The process of measuring the social value created by universities provides a way to meet the rising demands for greater accountability and transparency and facilitates engagement with stakeholders on how these institutions are contributing to sustainable development. Originality/value: ISV analysis represents an innovative approach to assess how HEIs create benefits for its internal and external stakeholders and contribute to solutions to social challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article assesses the relationships between race, gender, and parental college savings. Some prior studies have investigated race differences in parental college savings, yet none have taken an intersectional approach, and most of these studies were conducted with cohorts of students who predate key demographic changes among U.S. college goers (e.g., the reversal of the gender gap in college completion). Drawing on theories of parental investment and data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09), we show that both race and gender are associated with whether parents save for college, as well as how much they save. Both black boys and black girls experience savings disadvantages relative to their white peers. However, black girls experience particularly striking disparities: Black girls with the strongest academic credentials receive savings equivalent to black girls with the weakest academic credentials. Results suggest this is due, at least in part, to the fact that high-achieving black girls tend to come from families that are much less well-off than high achievers in other race-gender groups. As a result, parents of black girls frequently rely on funding sources other than their own earnings or savings to pay for their children's college. These funding sources include private loans that may pose financial challenges for black girls and their families across generations, thus deepening inequalities along the lines of gender, race, and class. These findings demonstrate the power of taking an intersectional approach to the study of higher education in general and college funding in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the new context of COVID-19, the authors assess the economic gap of the absence of students from Cluj-Napoca for one month due to the pandemic quarantine and isolation. The economic gap is presented in terms of estimated expenditures that did not occur, on an average monthly basis. The estimations are based on the survey data carried among Babeș-Bolyai University students that assessed students' expenditure for the year of 2015 in Cluj-Napoca. Our results suggest that due to the absence of the student population from Cluj-Napoca, around 33.4 million Euros is the expected amount of loss per month through spending that does not occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education systems are changing due to trends of funding pressures, increasing social demands and growing numbers of students. Even though teaching and research are still considered as the pivotal functions of universities, other activities such as technology transfer, lifelong learning or social engagement have broadened the scope of their actions. These activities, labelled as third mission, are supposed to strengthen the impact of science in society and epitomize the changing role of universities. In Germany, the federal government and the states announced different programs aiming to foster these activities, e.g. the "Innovative Hochschule" or Real-world Laboratories. In this article, we first want to develop a definition framework of third mission. In two further steps we analyze how politics and policies in Germany have framed the concept in the last few years and how public universities are responding to this in their formal structure. We use approaches of neo-institutional theory according to which organizations such as universities create institutionalized structures and reflect institutional rules in order to maintain legitimacy. As an example of organizational formal structure we analyze mission statements of public universities. Using computer-based qualitative content analysis, we assess to what extent these universities take up the third mission. Our results show that most universities mention the third mission in their mission statements. However, the focus is mainly limited to economic impact and (technical) knowledge transfer. Much less emphasis is put on civic engagement or further education issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The future of the study of religions is, like any other academic discipline, dependent on political and economic factors. In a country such as Denmark, where universities are primarily financed by the state, the willingness of the state to fund disciplines in the humanities impacts the future of the study of religions. The transition to a competition state has entailed the introduction of austerity measures and reforms that have a considerable impact on the study of religions. Nevertheless, the requirement that teachers in secondary education who teach classes on religion have a relevant university degree will guarantee the survival of the discipline. The article concludes by extrapolating current trends into the future. Tightened budgets will impact the study of religions, with potential consequences such as a greater pressure on researchers to compete for external funding and a need to reduce staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite university campuses – whereby established universities decentralise part of their activities, often to areas previously lacking a university – contribute to the diversification of university systems. While satellite campuses, due to their small scale and limited resources, might perform some activities less efficiently than their larger parent universities, we argue that they are uniquely placed to serve the needs of their localities. Based on the case of a satellite campus in North-West Italy, we show that: (i) the campus' main contribution lies in widening access to higher education to residents who would not attend university in the absence of local provision; (ii) the campus contributes to local development also through research and business and community engagement, and by stimulating local demand for knowledge-intensive services; (iii) research and engagement are more effective for local development where local firms possess relevant absorptive capacity and where there is a favourable institutional framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how one cohort of first-in-family students narrated their movement into and through university, proposed as a form of boundary crossing. These metaphors emerged from the stories that students told about their persistence, with references ranging from institutional or organisational boundaries through to those imposed by self and others. Applying the sensitizing lens of boundary crossing, an analysis is provided of how learners navigated their transition into university and the types of persistence behaviours adopted. The focus is on those who traversed these boundaries, considering the nature of incursions and the ways these were negotiated within students' everyday lives. This cohort all self-identified as being the first in their family to attend university but also acknowledged a variety of additional social, cultural and economic factors that impacted upon their educational journey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evidence on why students from lower social origin are persistently underrepresented in higher education (HE) suggests social, educational and economic factors all play a role. We concentrate on the influence of monetary costs/benefits and how these are influenced by social origin. In particular, we consider the effect of a class-based wage penalty in the labour market and, using evidence from a large-scale survey of Scottish students, we show how the greater financial constraints facing working-class students affects the incentive to participate in HE. Using a simple model of human capital investment, the low rate of working-class participation in HE is shown to be consistent with rational behaviour, i.e. weighing the monetary costs and benefits, participating in HE is a less attractive investment proposition for some students. We conduct simulations which suggest this could be mitigated by generous income-contingent support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities have the capacity to attract students from a vast geographical area, thus resulting in new residences for its host city. This is a well-known effect especially for major and prestigious universities located in relatively small locations. Babeș-Bolyai University in the city of Cluj-Napoca is such an example. Using our survey data, we explore a form of local tourism left rather unexplored - the students' visitors. Our results show that only 9.3% of these visitors spend the night at a hotel or hostel making this type of tourism little known and mostly untraceable for official tourism data. An estimated 7.5 million Euros were spent only by the BBU students' visitors in the city of Cluj-Napoca in the year of 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the economic impact of a university in a country characterised by the scarcity of significant data and quantitative information. It uses an input–output model that permits the use of gross domestic product (GDP) deflators to portray the economy of years following a year for which a complete data set input is possible. Using commonly available administrative data, the model not only allows for the calculation of monetary multipliers but also employment multipliers that play a major role in the educational sector. The study highlights the role of Higher Education in promoting economic development, even under difficult political, economic and security conditions, where lack of stability is the norm and aims to demonstrate that not only well‐known historically grounded universities have significant economic impact but also smaller emerging universities play an important role in the development of their national economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the employment and work status of Catalan graduates from public universities, by establishing a comparison between three cohorts of graduates: 2004 (during an expansion), 2007 (starting point of economic crisis), and 2010 (during the crisis). A first descriptive analysis shows that the rise of unemployment has affected graduates differently according to gender, social origin, field of study and work during higher education. A second typological analysis shows a homogeneous structure of occupations among the cohorts. However, starting with the 2010 cohort, the most exposed to the crisis, the absolute number of graduates with the better occupational conditions has declined, whereas the number of graduates in less protected has increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study conceptualizes three distinct functions European initiatives have in national policy changes: providing a model (Europeanization), providing a communication platform (policy transfer) or providing a legitimizing label (enabling opportunism of domestic policy entrepreneurs). Building on the example of higher education policy changes in four European countries - Belgium/Flanders, Croatia, the Netherlands and Serbia ‒ the study demonstrates that Europeanization, which is the role that can potentially lead to convergence, is actually not the most prominent one. In most cases, European initiatives primarily serve as legitimizing labels for pre-existing policy preferences, thus leading to convergence of policy rhetoric and ideas, while allowing for significant diversity of policy instruments and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policymakers in Latin America need to internalize the economic challenges associated with the recent expansion of higher education in the region, which has been carried out at a rapid pace and with weak quality assurance mechanisms. To achieve a more promising future than past generations, current college graduates need more than just any degree. We argue that only high-quality programs designed to effectively equip students with the skills to succeed in the modern labor market will alleviate the intergenerational transmission of inequality in the region. This paper seeks to shed light on this critical issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the recent expansion and structural changes in the Turkish higher education and analyses a number of economic consequences in terms of equity and returns across regions. First, we outline the institutional background of the expansion in order to identify various re-distributive dimensions of the policy. Using Household Labor Force Surveys between 2004 and 2013, we explore whether college proximity affects local families’ access to college. Our results show that this policy had an equity-enhancing effect for daughters of low-educated households in some regions with large-scale expansion. Second, we investigate whether the compositional change has affected local returns to college degrees and contributed to the relative convergence across regions. The estimation results show that despite the increase in college graduates, returns in terms of wages at the local level has increased increasing and that some regional convergence was attained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How and why does partisan affiliation impact policy? Using a regression discontinuity strategy and focusing on state education spending, we find that Democratic and Republican governors allocate spending differently. In particular, school districts with higher shares of minority students receive larger state transfers than other districts under Democratic governors. A similar pattern occurs in state transfers to higher education institutions. This is true regardless of whether the governor is eligible for reelection; we find no evidence that Democrat governors are simply sending money to areas with a larger share of Democrats. These results suggest that the observed policy divergence is driven by differences in preferences of elected candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there has been a long history of modelling the economic impact of higher education institutions (HEIs), little research has been undertaken in the context of Ireland. This paper provides, for the first time, a disaggregated input–output table for Ireland's higher education sector. The picture painted overall is a higher education sector that adds considerable gross value to the national economy, whether via state or other income. In 2010–2011, the gross income of Irish HEIs, as a total of €2.6 billion, generated gross output nationwide of €10.6 billion. This study also contributes to the major challenges facing the sector in a post-Bailout environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unexpectedly, the duration of first unemployment among first degree holders has quickly increased in Rwanda after considerable loss of the skilled labour during the war and Genocide perpetrated against Tutsi in 1994. The time it takes a higher education graduate to land a first employment is a key indicator for the evaluation of and optimal investment in higher education. A long-term first unemployment has negative psychosocial and economic consequences, and is an interplay of diversified factors. Yet, these factors have not been ascertained in Rwanda, whereas their knowledge is crucial for an efficient planning of higher education and employability of the graduates. This study aimed to fill in this knowledge gap for the period 1998–2009. We fitted a binary logistic regression model to data from the 2010 Employer and Graduate Survey (n = 1007) that was conducted by the National University of Rwanda. The results showed that the duration of first unemployment was significantly associated to the graduate’s age, job search method, acquired skills, further graduate studies, monthly salary and category of employing institution. The results suggest that the higher education sector should identify and fill skills gaps in the existing curricula or its delivery with reference to the labour market requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper considers students’ economic motives to attend university. Drawing on selected results from a tri-national survey involving online questionnaires and interviews with students at English, German and Portuguese universities, it examines and compares this particular extrinsic motivational dimension, alongside the influence of the national economic contexts within which the students are located. The findings suggest a strong consensus across all three settings in relation to high levels of motivation driven by the students’ economic goals – careers, qualifications and future income – irrespective of background variables and fee structures. An exploration of the impact of the broader economic climate, however, reveals a more fragmented picture. The differences revealed between national settings offer tentative evidence that the students’ perceptions of their country’s economic situation does have a differential impact on their decision to take up university studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the role of air transport service in the attractiveness of universities to national students, examining how it might stimulate local economic development by attracting highly skilled labor. Examining the flow of Italian university students at the provincial level in 2003–2012, we find that the air transport service affects university attractiveness for long-distance students living at least 300 km from their university. Specifically, accessibility increases with the proximity of universities to airports, when low-cost carriers serve university routes and more alternative airports exist at the origin. Further, our results suggest that, over the last decade, air transport service has facilitated mobility of long-distance students from southern areas to universities in the north of Italy, where students generally move to increase their future prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay examines the experience of international students in American universities, providing basic data on their numbers and economic impact. Accompanying photographs document international students' participation in Globalfest, an annual event that celebrates their enrollment at Michigan State University.ᅟ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the changing relationship between states and higher education policy based on budget. A description of the golden era of 1945 to 1970 is presented including its building blocks, California Master Plan, and the baby boom generation. Topics discussed include economic factors that caused the change in relationship, the emergence of other funding priorities as Medicaid and criminal sentencing policy, and the current state of higher education.

Universities are continually challenged to streamline their programs and investments to a progressive society. Both students and local businesses relay on universities to provide individual, social and economic impacts on the community. In this paper, an analysis of universities as a source of financial stability and investment within localities is discussed. Focus is placed on the implementation of economic practices between the Izmir University of Economics and the district of Izmir, Balcova. The study employs several descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression models to analyze a detailed survey of 168 local businesses. The results of this economic impact study shows that students, faculty, staff and university expenditures may have an increased positive effect on the local economy. Local businesses continue to find the university and its community as keys to their financial success. This impact on the local and city economy has a possibility of generating significantly greater returns in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: University students typically develop between them long-lasting ties of friendship and trust, as well as an attachment to their university. If they are foreign students, they also form a bond to their country of study. This paper investigates the impact of university ties on the UK’s trade with 167 countries during 1999–2009. I find robust evidence that education network ties boost the UK’s bilateral trade flows. Specifically, the impact of networks is stronger on trade between the United Kingdom and countries with dissimilar institutions and culture, and particularly with post-communist economies. Results are robust to different econometric specifications and regressors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Undergraduate study behaviours, principally lecture attendance and additional study, are shown to predict better student achievement by many researchers. Despite this, there is not much evidence on the determinants of these behaviours. This is the first paper to explore the determinants of study behaviours across multiple subject areas; and is the first to incorporate students’ noncognitive traits into such a model; that the authors are aware of. This enables the formation of policy that can improve academic achievement by encouraging study behaviour. The results show that students’ noncognitive traits, in particular conscientiousness and future-orientation, are important determinants of lecture attendance and additional study hours. In fact, there is very little that explains undergraduate study behaviour besides noncognitive traits. Standard economic factors, such as family income, financial aid and parental transfers, are not predictive of study behaviours. Some comments are provided on a potential behavioural economics approach to encouraging study behaviours. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article reports that English language studies at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand has long tradition. It continues to be an exemplar of vitality in the discipline in different important ways despite a range of pressures. General challenges manifest in New Zealand higher education that encompass economic factors.

The globalization of the economy and society has had its impact on Malaysian higher education institutions, particularly universities. The Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education aims at intensifying globalization through increasing the number of international students. However, many international students struggle with adjusting to a new culture. The role of self-efficacy and social support on international students’ adjustment is important because international students encounter many academic and cultural challenges when they come to Malaysia. Thus, the present study examined the relationship between self-efficacy, perceived social support, and psychological adjustment of international students in a Malaysian public university. A total of 185 international students from various countries and regions completed questionnaires about their self-efficacy, perceived social support, and psychological adjustment. The General Self-Efficacy Scale (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1995) was administered to assess the international students’ self-beliefs to cope with a variety of difficult demands in life. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet et al., 1988) was used to assess international students’ social support. Psychological adjustment was measured with the Satisfaction With Life Scale (Diener et al., 1985). As hypothesized, self-efficacy and only 1 dimension of perceived social support (support from friends and significant others) significantly related with psychological adjustment. Implications of the findings for better adjustment in university environment among international students and future research on international students; adjustment are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This chapter provides a case study on how thirteen institutions of higher education, ten of which are community colleges, created a blueprint for successful regional collaboration on critical education and economic challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There is a vast literature on the decision to enroll in higher education, but it focuses almost entirely on traditional students: 18 year olds graduating from high school. Yet less than half of students at degree-granting institutions are in the traditional 18–22 age range; nearly 40% are at least 25. This paper examines the enrollment behavior of persons 25 or older. We use data from a large-scale 1998 Department of Labor (DOL) policy demonstration in Greater Baltimore. By studying the behavior of older people we can examine factors such as age, earnings and marital status that vary little among the much-studied traditional students. Our results conform to the (rarely tested) predictions of human capital theory that age and opportunity costs are impediments to enrollment. We also find that where you live has a substantial impact on whether you return to school. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We study student loan behavior in the Netherlands where (i) higher education students know little about the conditions of the government''s financial aid program and (ii) take-up rates are low. In a field experiment we manipulated the amount of information students have about these conditions. The treatment has no impact on loan take-up, which is not due to students already having decided to take a loan or students not absorbing the information. We conclude that a lack of knowledge about specific policy parameters does not necessarily imply a binding information constraint. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Community engagement in higher education is a shift beyond the traditional roles of instruction and research. This paper presents a transnational view of community engagement developed from two case studies of universities in the Philippines and Australia. The study, revealed variations in the way community engagement is understood and implemented by universities across different countries. These variations are related to economic, social–cultural, political and organizational factors. The role of university leadership was found to have a critical role in embedding community engagement in the organizational identity and image. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Empirical research has shown that cultural values matter for economic growth and has specifically identified the achievement motivation as an aspect of culture that engenders economic growth. If specific cultural values engender economic growth, how then can societies promote them? This paper addresses this question using the 2005 wave of the World Values Survey data for 43 countries. We test the contention that both formal and informal education significantly impacts the relative importance an individual places on economic achievement vis-à-vis traditional social norms. Results suggest that individuals with higher education levels and better access to media attach higher importance to values related to autonomy and economic achievement as compared to conformity to traditional social norms. These results underscore the importance of institutions, specifically public policy on both formal and informal educational channels, in facilitating adoption of values that are considered important for economic development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper analyzes the effects of a higher education accountability system in Brazil. For each discipline, colleges were assigned a grade that depended on the scores of their students on the ENC, an annual mandatory exam. These grades were then disclosed to the public and colleges were rewarded or penalized based on them. I find that the ENC had a positive effect on the education and the proportion of full-time faculty and that it increased the number of vacancies offered, applicants and enrollments. Colleges were affected differently depending on grades, ownership and academic organization, changing the distribution of students among them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demographic decline in Russia affects the regions in different ways, so that the problems created and the policies needed at the local level vary from place to place. There is a mutually significant and interactive link between demographic and economic factors in Russia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides an overview of the social, economic, and political forces that drive entrepreneurial activities in the U.S. higher education system. It states that the rapid expansion of the community college sector during post World War II was in large part an entrepreneurial response to the societal needs of that era. One longstanding mission of community colleges is to be responsive to shifting social and economic conditions, which requires developing new or reshaping existing instructional and community-directed learning models.

As a longtime member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Robert C. Byrd has earned a reputation for successfully procuring supplemental federal spending for West Virginia. Indeed, Byrd has become nearly synonymous with 'pork barrel' spending in both the national and West Virginia press. This article attempts to elucidate the connections between pork spending, honorary place names, and political stature by focusing on Senator Byrd's efforts since 1989. After describing illustrative spending projects related to transportation and higher education, this article suggests how these expenditures may affect economic growth, electoral results, and political stature. While the economic impact of pork in this case is debatable, it is likely that its political significance, especially the practice of naming projects after Senator Byrd, plays a more substantive role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most visions of the future of academic libraries are based on the cornucopian model, that economic growth and technical innovation will continue unabated. An assessment of the future based on the ecological model, taking into account oil depletion, reveals that economic contraction and the abandonment of unsupportable technologies is the more likely scenario. The role of academic libraries may change drastically in the coming decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on research related to adult education. The second update of the report "Education Pays" focuses on the financial and nonmonetary benefits of higher education. A study titled "America's Perfect Storm: Three Forces Changing Our Nation's Forces" states the educational and economic factors that affect the U.S.

Research universities in the United States have increasingly become involved in economic development since the mid-1980s. There has been a corresponding growth of interest in measuring the impacts of higher education on regional economies. This article reviews the approaches used to examine the influence of research universities on regional economic development outcomes. Considerable attention is paid to the methodological advantages and shortcomings of four major research designs evidenced in the literature: single-university impact studies, surveys, knowledge production functions, and cross-sectional and quasiexperimental designs. University activities, particularly knowledge-based activities such as teaching and basic research, have been found to have substantial positive effects on a variety of measures of regional economic progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a policy change involving statewide school district refinancing in Kansas during the early 1990s to identify the relationship between per-pupil expenditure and the probability that a student will progress to higher education. Kansas’s school district refinancing was intended to equalize per-pupil expenditure conditional on a measure of cost developed by the state. This equalization process resulted in a change in spending that, although not completely exogenous, is understood well enough that an unbiased estimate of the effect of spending on students’ post-secondary destinations can be made. Since additional years of education are known to increase lifetime earnings, a simple cost-benefit analysis of a hypothetical spending increase is considered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]