University in Transformation

Taking a long-term historical and future perspective on the university is critical at this time. The university is being refashioned, often by forces out of the control of academics, students, and even administrators. However, there remain possibilities for informed action, for steering the directions that the university can take. This book maps both the historical factors and the alternative futures of the university. Whereas most books on the university remain focused on the European model, this volume explores models and issues from non-Western perspectives as well.

Inayatullah and Gidley draw together essays by leading academics from a variety of disciples and nations on the futures of the university, weaving historical factors with emerging issues and trends such as globalism, virtualization, multiculturalism, and politicization. They attempt to get beyond superficial debate on how globalism and the Internet as well as multiculturalism are changing the nature of the university, and they thoughtfully assess these changes.

SOHAIL INAYATULLAH is Professorial Research Fellow, Tamkang University, Visiting Academic, Queensland University of Technology and Professor and David Sutton Fellow, International Management Centres. In 1999, he was Tamkang Chair, Tamkang University, Taiwan and UNESCO Chair, Centre for European Studies, University of Trier, Germany. He is the author of 200 journal articles, book chapters and popular magazine pieces and has authored/edited 10 books. He is also a Fellow for the World Academy of Art and Science and a Fellow for the World Futures Studies Federation. He is Associate Editor for New Renaissance and Coeditor for the Journal of Futures Studies.

JENNIFER GIDLEY is an Educational Psychologist and Futures Researcher. She is currently a Counselor and Consultant to schools, public and private, and lectures in Social Sciences at Southern Cross University.