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A generic bibliography containing over 1000 references (books, journal articles, monographs, conference papers, reports, etc.) on the subject of academic freedom in higher education, from various countries (Australia, Canada, Europe, the UK and the USA, etc.) which cover (inter alia) the genesis and history of the concept, intellectual and artistic freedom, the legal interpretation of academic freedom, individual and institutional academic freedom, the responsibilities and duties associated with academic freedom, etc.

A summary of key features from an updated meta-analysis protocol registered with PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews.

Using empirical data from over 1500 respondents (drawn from across the UK) to a survey on academic freedom, and the Times Higher’s World University Rankings, this paper is a comparative assessment of the relationship between professed levels of defacto protection for academic freedom by teaching and research staff in individual UK universities, and their institution’s excellence, as evinced by world university rankings. The study reveals that normative protection for academic freedom is strongest in Russell Group universities and weakest in post-1992 institutions. Additionally, the professed level of protection for academic freedom reported by respondents to the survey is shown to have a positive relationship with the World Rankings’ positions of their institutions. Furthermore, the study considers whether academic freedom may be a prerequisite for, or defining characteristic of, a world-class university. Finally, the paper assesses the possible policy implications of this research for universities and their leaders, and higher educational policy makers, within the UK and beyond, seeking to improve the Times Higher’s World Ranking positions of their institutions.

Background: There are an estimated 46.8 million people worldwide living with dementia in 2015, being cared for usually by family members or friends (informal caregivers). The challenges faced by informal caregivers often lead to increased levels of stress, burden and risk of care-recipient institutionalisation. Aim: The overarching aim of this study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of informal caregivers of people with dementia when interacting with the health care system, and whether the support received acted as a mediator of caregiver stress. The secondary aim was to investigate healthcare professionals’ views and current practice regarding people with dementia and their interactions with informal caregivers. Method: We employed a qualitative research design, using focus groups and one face-to-face interview with a purposive sample of informal caregivers and healthcare professionals (HCPs) in Lincolnshire, UK. Data were collected between March and July 2015. We used the stress-process model of stress in caregivers as a theoretical framework. Results: We interviewed 18 caregivers and 17 HCPs. Five themes, mapped to the stress-process in caregivers’ model, captured the main challenges faced by caregivers and the type of support they wanted from health care services. Primary stressors included the challenge of diagnosing dementia; caregivers’ needs and expectations of an in-depth knowledge and understanding of dementia from HCPs; and need for carer education. Secondary role strain included lack of support and mismatch of communication and expectations. Caregiver involvement in monitoring care and disease was a potential mediator tool. Conclusions: Fragmentation of dementia care services, lack of training for HCPs and the dearth of information for caregivers means health care services are only partially fulfilling a support role. In turn, lack of support may be intensifying caregiver stress leading to worsening in their health and well-being; thus, pote

This article expounds the Composite Theory to define the parameters for the exercise of academic freedom in Africa, informed by its political, historical and cultural circumstances and expressed in the Dar es Salaam Declaration on Academic Freedom and Social Responsibility of Academics and the Kampala Declaration on Intellectual Freedom and Social Responsibility. This approach follows in the line of the Special Theory and General Theory postulated to justify the exercise and application of academic freedom in Germany and the United States of America, respectively. The Composite Theory contends that academic freedom in the African context should not only be seen in the narrow prism of protecting the rights of academics on and off the university campus. It includes a commitment to recognise and contribute to promoting the rights of other key actors in the academic freedom equation, to wit, students and the society as a fulfillment of the academic’s social responsibility. This role can be fulfilled both within and outside the university campus. Internally, academics shall respect students’ right to academic freedom and immerse knowledge-sharing in a democratic ethos. This approach will likely instil in the students respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law, which they will carry away with them from the university into life within the society. Extramurally, equipped with their knowledge, skills and experience, African academics should take advantage of their privileged positions in society to leave their ivory towers and, where necessary, solidarise with other civil society actors to promote social transformation and human emancipation. This is the guaranteed way to protect academic freedom on the campuses.

In Europe, Australia, and the United States, the ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel has been honored more in the breach than in its observance. Now that Africa has returned to an ethos of democratic culture and refinement of the role of the university in the globalization era, the time has come for it also to be assessed on its level of compliance with the ILO/UNESCO Recommendation. This essay takes up that assessment based on four indicators identified in the ILO/UNESCO Recommendation: institutional autonomy, individual rights and freedoms, institutional self-governance, and tenure. The article concludes that academic freedom has found its way back into African universities after its almost complete annihilation between independence and the collapse of the Berlin Wall. However, reforms undertaken in the globalization era in many African universities have undermined gains made in respect to academic freedom during that time.

Academic freedom is generally considered a human right, both nationally and internationally. However, no legally binding international human rights instrument—neither at the global nor the regional level—provides express protection for this right; this includes the two most important global human rights treaties, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, both of 1966. This begs the question: Does the right to academic freedom not—even so—have a “home” in either or both of the U.N. Human Rights Covenants? Can and should academic freedom be protected as part of the right to freedom of expression in Article 19 of the former Covenant? Or does Article 15 on “cultural rights” of the latter Covenant constitute the proper provision? Or is it, in fact, Article 13 on the right to education, also of the latter Covenant, that encompasses academic freedom? Yet another option would be for different aspects of the right to academic freedom to be considered addressed by different Covenant provisions, including but not limited to those cited. However, if the latter option applies, does – or should – not one of these provisions be seen to be the primary or overarching provision? This article will attempt to answer these questions, commenting on the adequacy or otherwise of the various approaches discernible. Shedding light on the matter may well facilitate the formulation of a General Comment on the right to academic freedom by the proper U.N. human rights treaty body – and in this way help dispelling some of the fundamental misconceptions regarding the true purport of this right.

This article assesses to what extent the right to academic freedom as construed in terms of international human rights law, specifically UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel of 1997, is protected in the law of the 28Member States of the European Union. It determines the elements of this right, to then operationalise these by way of indicators accorded numeric values in order to assess state compliance and rank states in terms of their performance. The article shows that there is retrogression in Europe insofar as the legal protection of the right to academic freedom is concerned. Institutional autonomy is being misconstrued, academic self-governance denied and job security eroded. These developments appear to be the result of deliberate policy decisions by EU Member States seeking to make higher education “the arm of national economic policy,” so as to ensure higher education will contribute to national GDP.

This analysis, which uses similar surveys to gather comparable data from over 2000 UCU members and 5000 staff in universities of the European states, demonstrates that the low level of de jure protection for academic freedom in the UK is mirrored by an equally poor (if not worse) level of de facto protection. The reality is that, in the overwhelming majority of instances, UCU members report statistically significantly higher levels of systematic abuse of their academic freedom, across a wide array of measures, than their European counterparts. For example, 23% of UCU respondents (and 14.1% of EU respondents) reported being bullied on account of their academic views, 26.6% of UCU respondents reported being subjected to psychological pressure (EU = 15.7%), while 35.5% of the UCU cohort admitted to self-censorship, for fear of negative repercussions, such as loss of privileges, demotion, physical harm (EU= 19.1%). Some of this abuse may be attributable to a lack of knowledge of academic freedom rights among staff – only 41.7% of the UCU cohort claimed to have an adequate working knowledge of academic freedom (EU= 49.2), while less than half that proportion (20.6%) knew about the 1988 Education Reform Act, which supposedly protects academic freedom in the UK. Not surprisingly, 81.6% of UCU respondents said they would welcome additional information on the concept of academic freedom and its rights and responsibilities. Furthermore, UCU members are much more likely to strongly agree than their European counterparts that the major elements of academic freedom (freedom for teaching and research, autonomy, shared governance and employment protection) have declined. Work elsewhere suggests two possible options to ameliorate this situation. First, awareness raising about academic freedom among UCU members, along with the provision of explanatory information and training materials. Second, an appeal to UNESCO that the UK government does not meet its obligations under the 1997 R

This Article reports and comments on the results of an assessment of the legal protection of the right to academic freedom (an examination of its factual protection to be undertaken at a future point) in EU member states, having examined these countries’ constitutions, laws on higher education, and other relevant legislation. The assessment relied on a standard scorecard, developed by utilizing indicators of protection of academic freedom, notably as reflected in UNESCO’s Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher- Education Teaching Personnel, a document of 1997 that is not legally, but “politically” binding, and which concretizes international human rights requirements in respect of academic freedom—a right under international human rights law. The results for the various countries have been quantified, and the countries have been ranked in accordance with “their performance.” Overall, the state of the legal protection of the right to academic freedom in Europe appears to be one of “ill- health.” Increasingly, European countries are merely paying lip service to this important right. While the concept of institutional autonomy is being misconstrued, self-governance in higher education institutions and employment security are being subjected to rigorous processes of erosion.

Focusing on those countries that are members of the European Union, it may be noted that these countries are bound under international human rights agreements, such as the International Covenants on Civil and Political, and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights or the European Convention on Human Rights, to safeguard academic freedom under provisions providing for the right to freedom of expression, the right to education, and respect for ‘the freedom indispensable for scientific research.’ UNESCO’s Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel, a ‘soft-law’ document of 1997, concretises international human rights requirements to be complied with to make the protection of the right to academic freedom effective. Relying on a set of human rights indicators, the present article assesses the extent to which the constitutions, laws on higher education, and other relevant legislation of eu states implement the Recommendation’s criteria. The situation of academic freedom in practice will not be assessed here. The results for the various countries have been quantified and countries ranked in accordance with ‘their performance.’ The assessment demonstrates that, overall, the state of the protection of the right to academic freedom in the law of European states is one of ‘ill-health.’ Institutional autonomy is being misconstrued as exhausting the concept of academic freedom, self-governance in higher education institutions sacrificed for ‘executive-style’ management, and employment security abrogated to cater for ‘changing employment needs’ in higher education

Using comparative data from 28 states within the European Union, this paper is a comprehensive assessment of the protection for, and (by extension) the health of, academic freedom in the universities of the nations of the European Union. The paper, extending previous work in this area, adopts a ‘bottom-up’ approach utilising 37 specific parameters that relate to international treaties, and national, constitutional, and legislative protection for academic freedom, along with legal regulations concerning institutional governance, the appointment of the Rector, and the existence of academic tenure, in order to create a composite picture of the health of academic freedom in the universities within the European Union nations.

Although the cradle of university education is traced to Africa, modern university education in Africa emanated from European systems which set the tone for their replication on the continent through colonialism. For ideological and other reasons, African universities were subjected to significant violations of their institutional autonomy after independence, which trickled down to affect academics and students alike and thereby violated academic freedom generally. One major area where the abuses centred was the appointment of political leaders to occupy the high echelons of university management and to run the universities as political organs of the one-party systems in vogue at the time. Discussion of this subject has mainly centred on critiquing the excesses of immediate postcolonial governments, sometimes with no linkage to academic freedom. Where academic freedom is introduced into the discourse, the key components of the concept of academic freedom are not clearly delineated and discussed in a manner that links one component to the other. This paper aims to fill this gap. It does so by developing a theoretical framework for academic freedom which is used to analyse and categorise violations of academic freedom under its five pillars – institutional autonomy, self-governance, tenure, individual rights and freedoms for academics, and individual rights and freedoms for students. The paper also examines the factors responsible for the violations of academic freedom and their impact on the evolution of higher education in Africa.

An oral presentation on our qualitative study on the challenges faced by carers of people with dementia and the support they need from health and social care providers

Introduction The day-to-day care of people with dementia is often undertaken by a family member or friend. Research has shown that often carers receive little support and information on dementia and report lack of preparedness to provide effective care. Our aim was to explore the experiences of informal carers of people with dementia around challenges they face relating to their care-recipients’ dementia and when interacting with the health and social care system. Methods We used a qualitative design and thematic analysis, with an a priori framework approach. The study involved focus groups with informal carers, people with dementia and healthcare professionals (HPs) working on dementia. Recruitment took place in Lincolnshire through support groups, the University of Lincoln, and the Healthier Ageing Public and Patient Involvement (HAPPI) group for carers; through general practices and the Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation NHS Trust for HPs. Results We interviewed 17 carers, three patients with dementia and 16 HPs. The main challenges for carers were: diagnosis of dementia in a timely manner and appropriate treatment for other health issues; not receiving timely information; only receiving written information in the form of leaflets; not receiving the support that they needed from health and social care services; feeling that HPs lack knowledge about and understanding of dementia; and a need for education of carers around dementia that is not being met. Both carers and HPs felt that having carers monitoring the progression of their care-recipients (in the format of a diary) would be helpful for identifying potential triggers for the patients’ behaviour and recording what was going well. However, some HPs were also worried that keeping such diaries might be an extra burden and cause of anxiety for the carers. Conclusion Carers of people with dementia report a higher need for information and holistic, more structured support from health and social care services that

Dementia is a progressive degenerative neurological disease with no known cure. The day-to-day responsibility of caring for a person with dementia represents considerable psychological, physical, social and financial burdens on carers. Caregiver interventions have demonstrated measurable benefits including: increased caregiver knowledge; reduced levels of anxiety and depression; increased carers’ coping ability and self-efficacy leading to delaying residential care placement for those with dementia. Our aim was to systematically review the literature relating to interventions for improving outcomes for carers of people with dementia to inform development of a complex psychoeducational intervention to improve quality of life (QoL) and outcomes for carers, and those they care for, with early dementia. Methods: Three categories of interventions were chosen for inclusion: psychoeducational, educational and multicomponent interventions. A systematic literature search of 17 scientific databases was performed, covering literature published up to November 2014. Reference lists from the articles identified were also scanned to ensure identification and inclusion of all relevant studies. The quality of the included studies was assessed according to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence public health guidance and the Systematic Evidence Reviews & Clinical Practice Guidelines proposed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health. Narrative analysis was used to synthesise the results. Results: Results from 81 papers showed that psychoeducational interventions for carers were successful in improving carer-related outcomes, such as depression, burden, self-efficacy and knowledge, but were less successful in improving patient-related outcomes, such as QoL, functional and behavioural problems, and institutionalisation. Educational interventions were successful in improving most carer and patient-related outcomes, except for

A presentation of the CAD: E3 study.

A poster presentation summarising the CAD: E3 study.

A poster presenting the results of a systematic literature review on psychoeducational interventions for informal (unpaid) carers of people with dementia

A summary of key features from a systematic review protocol registered in PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews.

The purpose of this study is to present how a traditional campus university executed its strategic plans and implemented the virtual university model. In large and complex organizations such as universities it is hard to find out how the change really was implemented. The literature on change management is voluminous but is dominated by descriptions of single projects. To overcome the limitations of such case studies, this paper applies a longer and wider perspective to the institutional ICT strategy process and, by the introduction of an overarching method which categorizes the investments, shows more clearly the trends, stages of, and the barriers to, the development. This long term study is based on 116 development projects during a ten-year period in a decentralized and networked development environment. © 2011 IADIS.

This presentation presented evaluative research of a project that addresses the needs of, and promotes the rights of, children affected by domestic violence and negative family conflict, in a large rural county in the Republic of Ireland. The case study organisation, Mayo Children’s Initiative, was established in 2009 with funding from The Atlantic Philanthropies. With a focus on prevention and children’s rights, the initiative locates much of its work in schools. This presentation draws on one aspect of the evaluation; inter-agency working. It explores how schools and other agencies can work collaboratively, in a complex social environment, to facilitate effective information sharing, co-facilitation of service delivery and development of a shared understanding and standardized approach to domestic violence and negative family conflict. The research adopted a mixed methods design. Data was collected through questionnaires and focus groups with school children and parents, and semi-structured interviews with stakeholder professionals. This presentation will explore key findings that are transferable to a range of inter-agency practice contexts. In particular; - The complexity of working across agencies with different priorities and approaches to responding to the issues, in relation to language used and understanding of this area of work; - The management of complex cross-referral processes embedded in an interagency, collaborative social community approach may be effective, but there is a need for policies that enable agencies to track referrals that they receive and generate; - There is value in having an organisation that can respond to immediate need in a way that is not mired in bureaucracy. However, such a service can be drawn on to compensate for lack of services elsewhere, when alternative provision may be more appropriate; - Where a cross-agency network works together ensuring joint ‘ownership’, effective governance and skilful leadership, interagency worki

This chapter examines the impact of the Bologna Declaration on post-graduate education in Europe. First, the rationale behind the Bologna Declaration is analysed, in terms of the motivations and aspirations of the signatory states of the preceding Sorbonne Declaration. Building on this, the impact of the Bologna Declaration on postgraduate education is then assessed. Finally, the question as to whether, and to what extent, the Bologna Process can be adjudged a success is examined.

The short article discusses the state of academic freedom at Oxford and the impact of attempts to alter both the institutional system of governance and the university contract.

This paper examines specific features relating to the process of changing the method of assessment and grading in higher education within the European Union, namely: • that strains on the academic staff are inevitable, given the growing pressures for European integration within a wider (25 nations plus) community; • that irrespective as to whatever or wherever change takes place in higher education, (be it in curricula design and delivery, assessment and grading, etc.) it has to be undertaken by people who may be resistant to change, and who hence may find the process painful. Consequently, addressing the human dimension (through inclusive involvement) in securing successful change is paramount. • that changes to the national higher educational systems, by their very nature, create large and complex problems, which hence necessitates very carefully considered policy responses, and sophisticated and sustained implementation strategies (brains). • that the gains associated with a successful implementation may be greater than those initially sought

The paper details the ITC context for México, which is characterised by a low, but rapidly growing use of ICTS, and then examines at the recent E-México policy initiative launched by President Vincent Fox, in the light of México's considerable experience in using ICT for distance education. Finally the paper suggests that, by benchmarking against Finland (a country with a high use of ICTs in both business and education), México would derive considerable social, economic and educational benefits from the use of ICTs

This article assesses the impact of the Bologna Process on the grading schemes of EU member countries. In light of some problems regarding the implementation of the European Credit Transfer system (ECTS), the author proposes further reforms and offers some elements of a unified grading system for European higher education. The author explores the variation among Europe’s grading systems and the resulting lessons learned are shared here. Lastly, this article also argues that principles of justice and fairness, deemed central to academic freedom, are best upheld by the use of a unified grading system at national and European levels.

This paper examines the justification for, and benefits of, academic freedom to academics, students, universities and the world at large. The paper surveys the development of the concept of academic freedom within Europe, more especially the impact of the reforms at the University of Berlin instigated by Wilhelm von Humboldt. Following from this, the paper examines the reasons why the various facets of academic freedom are important and why the principle should continue to be supported.

Executive Summary 1. There is confusion, both in academic circles and the public more generally, about the definition of a virtual university. Hence in considering such an option, it is worth looking more fundamentally at the contexts for higher education, and the functions of a National Virtual University equipped to meet the needs of the 21st Century. 2. The increase in the use of ICT has caused a radical increase in demand for higher education globally, and increased access to higher education via the use of ICT. New suppliers in the form of private and corporate universities, now compete with universities in their home countries, and increasingly, overseas. 3. Although demands for higher education are growing rapidly, analysis of the new and changing demands on universities at local, national and international levels, within an increasingly global knowledge market, indicates that the role of a National Virtual University will be much broader than that of an existing university. Moreover, a NVU will need to successfully compete in an environment which is growing in competitiveness and complexity as corporate universities start to operate, but will have to do so with greater efficiency and lower funding. 4. The socio-economic environment in Finland is characterised by an internationally high (and growing) involvement with information and communication technologies in all spheres of life. Within this fast developing Information Society, there is a high need for increasing skills levels and retraining, especially with respect to ICT. However, like elsewhere in Europe, the use of technology for collaborative teaching in Universities and for promoting joint research with industry, is comparatively underexploited, although the existing higher education platform, provides a useful structure which could adapt to, and benefit from, the establishment of a National Virtual University. 5. The rationale for incorporating the use of new technologies in higher education by buil

Using comparative data from 23 states within the European Union, this paper is a preliminary assessment of the protection for, and (by extension) the health of, academic freedom in the universities of the nations of the European Union. The paper examines constitutional and legislative protection for academic freedom, along with legal regulations concerning institutional governance, the appointment of the Rector and the existence of academic tenure, in order to create a composite picture of the health of academic freedom in the universities within the European Union nations. Additionally the paper considers how this preliminary analysis could be extended through possible further research to aid refinement of the results, and what policy steps could usefully be adopted at European level to protect and strengthen academic freedom.

Presentation looking at the development of e-learning and the concept of a virtual campus (in Spanish)

A description of the use of the European Credit Transfer System in assessment, including the results of a small survey of Swedish students

This paper is a preliminary attempt to establish a working definition of academic freedom for the European Union states. The paper details why such a definition is required for the European Union and then examines some of the difficulties of defining academic freedom. By drawing upon experience of the legal difficulties beset by the concept in the USA and building on previous analyses of constitutional and legislative protection for academic freedom, and of legal regulations concerning institutional governance and academic tenure, a working definition of academic freedom is then derived. The resultant definition which, it is suggested, could form the basis for a European Magna Charta Libertatis Academicae, goes beyond traditional discussions of academic freedom by specifying not only the rights inherent in the concept but also its accompanying duties, necessary limitations and safeguards. The paper concludes with proposals for how the definition might be tested and carried forward.

This paper examines the compliance of universities in the European Union with the UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher–Education Teaching Personnel, which deals primarily with protection for academic freedom. The paper briefly surveys the European genesis of the modern research university and academic freedom, before evaluating compliance with the UNESCO recommendation on institutional autonomy, academic freedom, university governance and tenure. Following from this, the paper examines the reasons for the generally low level of compliance with the UNESCO Recommendation within the EU states, and considers how such compliance could be improved.