Anke Hanft

Continuing Higher Education in a State of Flux: An International Comparison of the Role and Organisation of Continuing Higher Education

The changes currently taking place in the higher education system pose a number of major challenges for continuing higher education. While they offer a number of exciting opportunities there is also a danger of missed opportunities and false dawns. The implicit openness to adult learners that has hitherto been characteristic of the German higher education system is now up for debate, but at the same time so is the traditional perception of continuing higher education as a rather peripheral activity. The relationship between initial training and continuing education needs to be adjusted so that it fits into a higher education system based on the principles of lifelong learning.

Comparative Overview of Study Results

This chapter summarises the findings of the respective country studies on continuing higher education. On the system level, the chapter presents an overview about the education and higher education policy frameworks. It is discussed here how accessible higher education institutions are in the age of lifelong learning. On the institutional level, information about organisation, management and regulation of continuing higher education is given. In addition to that, the question of central or decentral organisation is focussed and information about special aspects, such as quality assurance, marketing or funding are mentioned. Finally, the questions of profile development and institutional lifelong learning policy are addressed. On the programme level, finding about course structures, new types of learning and specific partnership agreements with the business community are included.

Corporate Universities and Research Associations as Players in Continuing Higher Education

The study focuses on providers outside the university system, such as corporate universities (CU) and research associations (RA). The first section defines the organisational types of CU and discusses the question if CHE is provided by CU. It ends with an overview of the co-operation activities in the area of CHE. The second section deals with research associations and discusses the question if they provide CHE. Analogue to the first section it ends with and overview of co-operation activities in the field of CHE.

Organization and Management of Continuing Education in German and Finnish Universities.

In 2006, an international comparison study investigated the organization and management of university continuing education (UCE). The Finnish continuing education system proved to be especially advanced in this study. On the other hand, it became clear that Germany was still lagging behind in continuing education. In this article, German and Finnish universities are compared with respect to organizational forms and management structures in order to derive potentials for UCE and to identify decisive factors of success.

Hochschulen in Reformprozessen – Managen oder führen?

Im Zuge des Bologna-Prozesses sind Hochschulen mit einer Vielzahl von Reformen konfrontiert, die die Anforderungen an das Management erheblich erhoht haben. Mit der Einfuhrung neuer Steuerungssysteme wurden zwar Instrumente zur Professionalisierung des Managements eingefuhrt, die aber zunehmend mit der Frage verknupft werden, ob Hochschulen inzwischen „over-managed“ und „underled“ sind. Was aber unterscheidet Fuhrung von Management, und wie konnen Veranderungen in Institutionen, die durch machtige Expertensysteme mit vielfaltigen Interessen gekennzeichnet sind, durch Management und Fuhrung unterstutzt werden? Welche Handlungsstrategien setzen Hochschulmanagerinnen und -manager bei der Weiterentwicklung ihrer Institutionen ein? Am Beispiel einer wichtigen Reformanforderung, der Umstellung der Hochschulen auf „Lifelong learning“, wird aufgezeigt, wie innovative Veranderungen (durch-)gefuhrt werden konnen.

Design of the International Comparative Study

This chapter shows the methodological design of the international comparative study. First of all it mentions reasons for the selection of the countries. After that, it describes the three levels of analysis: the system level, which investigates regulatory frameworks for continuing higher education and its function. The institutional level which investigates organisational structures of continuing education, special aspects like quality assurance or marketing and public relations or funding of continuing education provisions. In addition to that, information about types of provisions and prospects for development are given. The last level – the programme level – gives information about ascertaining demand, provisions for special target groups, formal aspects, motivation and involvement of staff and finally collaboration with other institutions.

Organisation and Management of Continuing Higher Education: Findings of a Comparative Study in Six Countries from a German Perspective.

An international comparison study investigated the organisation and management of continuing higher education (CHE) in Germany, Finland, France, the United Kingdom, Austria and the United States of America. CHE is compared on the system level (boundaries between traditional study programmes and CHE, linking of CHE and vocational training, accessibility openness of the HE system, and recognition of prior learning), the institutional level (type of organisation, cooperation between centralised and decentralised units, and implementation of lifelong learning), as well as on the programme level (use of ECTS-credit points, duration of courses, e-learning, and corporate programmes) in order to derive potentials for CHE and to identify decisive factors of success. The main results are reported in this article.