It was heartening to read Times Higher Education’s recent article reporting that business schools around the world have recorded “double-digit growth” in their MBA programmes and enrolments. The decline in MBA applications over a five-year period was a worrying trend, so to have the Association of MBAs celebrating a second consecutive year of growth in […] … learn more→

After 20 years of working in UK business schools, Martin Parker, professor of organisation studies at Bristol University, calls for them to be shut down in a new book. His views have caused some lively debate and here, he makes his case. Ken Starkey, professor of management at Nottingham University, disagrees. He offers an alternative. Martin Parker: […] … learn more→

The move towards open access publishing in scientific research is certainly a global one. However, Latin America or Iberoamérica, a larger community that includes Spanish- and Portuguese-language countries in both Europe and the Americas, is using the OA publishing model to a far greater extent than any other region in the world. Iberoamérican scientists especially […] … learn more→

Interdisciplinary research. So hot right now… or is it? To be clear – I’m a super fan of interdisciplinary work. I’m happily ‘post-disciplinary’ myself. My PhD was interdisciplinary, and my current job is transdisciplinary. I work with all kinds of research students, from physics to fine art; education to chemistry, I embrace you all! While […] … learn more→

Since the Renaissance, the invention of the printing press, the Reformation, scientific progress, the industrial revolution and the division of labor have led to constant specialization and the emergence of a growing number of university disciplines over the centuries, in particular the twentieth. The French University, which encompassed four disciplines (namely theology, law, medicine and […] … learn more→

Soaring tuition costs are forcing people to reconsider going to university, but we still have this ingrained belief that you need a “4 year degree” to get a good job. Community colleges, the “cheapo” option of higher education, are starting to satisfy this need. Hey, I’m all for lower tuition, so I should be for […] … learn more→

For the American consumer, there is a good deal of persistent confusion about the cost of higher education. Media reports usually point to the high “sticker price,” which does not reflect the actual cost of an education that most American families pay. On the public side, it fails to incorporate the subsidy paid annually to […] … learn more→

Editor: “We’re cancelling your column.” Me: “Why? I thought it was very popular, to judge by reader’s comments.” Editor: “Oh it is, and we like it quite a bit, too. But we’re worried that you won’t be able to continue to be as good, so we’re ending it before that happens. Sorry.” –Back when I […] … learn more→

Should college majors be a thing of the past? That idea received a fresh airing when author Jeffrey Selingo suggested recently that it’s “time to end college majors as we know them.” As a researcher who studies higher education, I concede that something about the way colleges and universities educate students in the United States needs […] … learn more→

Most universities in the United States require a final doctoral defense of your precious work, although the procedures and formats may different from those in other countries. In the U.S., the advisory committee you’ve had a love-hate relationship with throughout your dissertation constitutes your defense committee as well. In other countries, the defense may be […] … learn more→