Newer Researchers Conference

Inspiring future generations; embracing plurality and difference in higher education
Date: Tuesday 9th December
Venue: Celtic Manor, Newport in South Wales, United Kingdom

Keynote speaker:

Professor Jeroen Huisman, Centre for Higher Education Governance Ghent Higher Education Institutions as (Changing) Organisations Download Presentation Listen Now

Higher Education Institutions as (Changing) Organisations

Despite being “old” institutions, higher education institutions underwent considerable change over time. Particularly in the past decades, much has changed regarding its structures, objectives, cultures, boundaries and relationships with its environment(s). Various authors have contributed to the debate on and analysis of the changing organisation, speaking of increasing autonomy, strong(er) actorhood, entrepreneurial universities, privatisation/commodification, the professionalisation of management, the hybridisation of functions within the university, etc. It appears however that scholars address quite different aspects of the organisation. The keynote will try to bring these different strands together and assess the state of the art regarding the higher education institution as an organisation and will interactively discuss with the audience what the implications are for doing research on and in higher education.

Jeroen Huisman is professor Higher Education and director of the Centre for Higher Education Governance Ghent at the department of Sociology, Ghent University, Belgium. His research focuses on higher education governance at the system and organisational levels. He is editor of Higher Education Poicy and co-editor of the SRHE Higher Education book series. He is Editorial Board member of Studies in Higher Education, Tertiary Education and Management, Journal of Studies in International Education, and the European Journal of Higher Education.