“At any moment in the development of the dialogue there are immense, boundless masses of forgotten contextual meanings, but at certain moments of the dialogue’s subsequent development along the way they are recalled and invigorated in renewed form (in a new context). Nothing is absolutely dead: every meaning will have its homecoming festival.”
Mikhail Bakhtin, Speech genres and other late essays
What is Higher Imagination?
Higher education must change. Dialogue can be a source of the ideas, inspiration and innovation which the sector and its institutions need. Higher Imagination is Ant Bagshaw’s blog on the present and future of HE. Get in touch by email or connect on LinkedIn if you want to collaborate.
Finding joy in the future university
Higher Imagination: A Future for Universities contributes to the debate about the future of higher education and presents a set of practical actions which can enable HE to define, and then deliver on, its mission across education, research, and social impact.
Universities face crises on many fronts, not least the erosion of confidence from staff, students, and policymakers. Yet the conditions in which they operate – in systems which are highly regulated quasi-markets – are unlikely to change for the better any time soon. Therefore, universities need to work within the constraints provided, using the freedoms they are afforded to shape their education and research, the better to serve their beneficiaries as public-purpose organisations seeking social impact. And they need new and positive solutions to the problems they face.
This book provides new insights for leading the contemporary university to achieve successful outcomes for stakeholders. Drawing on experience of the marketised systems in the UK and Australia, the book offers solutions to the seemingly intractable problems facing universities. Carefully balancing the social heart with the need for financial security and organisational efficiency, the solutions proposed keep the mission of the public university alive while growing universities’ impact.
Drawing together a team of expert contributors from across the sector to offer contemporary descriptions and critical reflection of practice in higher education, Influencing Higher Education Policy uncovers the nature of policymaking and interpretation. With a suite of authors whose experiences range from governmental to academic, this book shares insights from professionals working in the field of higher education policy to provide useful, practical, and implementable information.
Placing focus on professional aspects, and with practical examples bringing to light experiences, insights, and recommendations across policy and public affairs, this book is divided into three sections. It covers concepts and theories for policy influence, regulation and the role of government, and institutions’ engagement with policy. Furthermore, it considers:
what it means to work in policy and public affairs in higher education;
the increased complexity and fluidity of higher education politics;
regulatory reforms in higher education;
the position of the student in policy discourses.
Offering a contemporary representation, Influencing Higher Education Policy is an indispensable guide for all those who work in higher education, particularly those who work in communications, strategy, planning, and leadership roles.
