Mission

Finding resources for research in the area of Globalization and Higher Education can be a difficult task. While there is a lot of information about higher education in other countries, this is usually referred to as international comparative work. While this research is useful, it is different from the objectives of GHERC (http://www.globalhighered.com/). GHERC is working to foster a critical perspective that seeks to redefine the university as an agent of social transformation committed to a democratically negotiated definition of the public good. The Center aims to contribute to this body of work, while also serving to promote research with similar objectives.

Some existing works that are available now include The University, State, and Market: The Political Economy of Globalization in the Americas, edited by Robert A. Rhoads and Carlos Alberto Torres. With contributions by Noam Chomsky and Sheila Slaughter, this compilation contains an important theoretical foundation that is necessary to approach this topic. This book can be purchased at http://www.amazon.com/ for less than $20.

Building Knowledge Cultures: Education and Development in the Age of Knowledge Capitalism, edited by Michael A. Peters with A.C. (Tina) Besley, is another book that will provide a strong introduction to the idea of the knowledge economy. It is an in-depth theoretical resource that elaborates upon the key constructs and concerns linked to the knowledge economy, development, and the role of education. These two resources will certainly enhance the ability of the field to pursue further knowledge about a rapidly changing world and economy that is shaped in many ways by higher education.

-Chris