Conclusion

Abstract

The chapters in this volume reflect some important aspects of modern higher education as it impacts on public policy and economic development. In developed economies there has been a change in university education from elite to mass participation. This shift has meant major growth of new institutions fueled by the global interest in the development of human capital and the emergence of the knowledge-based economy. This change has put pressure on existing university cultures and systems as they now have to deal with greater demand and more attention to how they deliver against rising expectations about outcomes. Moreover, the interconnections between markets in goods and services means that universities need to confront new questions about the relevance of their activities to economic and social development.