RE-BECOMING UNIVERSITIES?: Higher Education Institutions in Networked Knowledge Societies

David M. Hoffman, Jussi Välimaa

Springer, Mar 9, 2016 - Education - 490 pages

This book provides an overview of the major findings of the comparative research project, Changes in Networks, Higher Education and Knowledge Society (CINHEKS). The main aim of this international comparative research project is the analysis of how Higher education institutions are networked within distinct knowledge societies in two key regions of the world: Europe and the United States of America. This research project was carried out in four European countries (Finland, Germany, Portugal and the United Kingdom) and in two different states in the United States of America. In addition, during the course of the research, a team from the Russian Federation joined the CINHEKS study. The analysis is contextually grounded in a comparative policy analysis focused on the main developments and understandings of the ideas surrounding the term knowledge society, in all countries concerned. Empirical elaboration is established via a series of sequential studies, each building, incrementally, on the previous study. These studies include institutional profiles of higher education institutions, institutional case studies, and an international comparative survey that illuminates academics’ social networks. The research findings broaden our understanding of the differences and similarities in how higher education institutions and individual academics are networked within and between societies that understand themselves as knowledge societies. The book introduces a novel analytical synthesis, which asserts contemporary societies have evolved into Networked Knowledge Societies. Methodologically, the book both challenges and raises the bar for previous approaches in comparative higher education, in terms of research design, execution and lays the groundwork for a new generation of international comparative higher education research. ​

Contents

• Introduction to the Book and the Comparative Study: 3
• Higher Education in Networked Knowledge Societies: 13
• The CINHEKS Research Design Taking Stock and Moving Forward: 41
• National Stories Convergent Trends and Divergent Paths Discursive Construction of the Higher Education and Knowle: 75
• Within and Between Higher Education Institutions: 114
• Diversity of Higher Education Institutions in Networked Knowledge Societies A Comparative Examination: 115
• Why Public Policies Fostering Knowledge Networks in Academia Matter? Insights from the Portuguese Higher Education: 141
• Transformation in the Knowledge Transmission Mission of Russian Universities Social Versus Economic Instrumentalism: 169
• Changing Practices Changing Values? A Bernsteinian Analysis of Knowledge Production and Knowledge Exchange in Two: 201
• Global National and Local? The Multilayered Spatial Ties of Universities to Society: 223
• World Class Local Heroes Emerging Competitive Horizons and Transnational Academic Capitalism in Finnish Higher: 247
• Exploring Social Network Ties of US Academics The Importance of Employee Status Institutional Type Discipline: 283
• The CINHEKS Comparative Survey Emerging Design Findings and the Art of Mending Fractured Vessels: 309
• Comparative Findings: 336
• Main Findings and Discussion: 339
• Appendices: 362
• Index: 481

Bibliographic information

• Title: RE-BECOMING UNIVERSITIES?: Higher Education Institutions in Networked Knowledge Societies; Volume 15 of The Changing Academy – The Changing Academic Profession in International Comparative Perspective
• Editors: David M. Hoffman, Jussi Välimaa
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Springer, 2016
• ISBN: 9401773696, 9789401773690
• Length: 490 pages
• Subjects: Education / Adult & Continuing Education; Education / Comparative; Education / General; Education / Schools / Levels / Higher; Social Science / Sociology / General