NEW LAW ON HIGHER EDUCATION IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA

The Federal Assembly of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic approved, on 10 April 1980, the new law (Nr.39/80) on higher education. This law was under preparation nearly three years by the Czech and Slovak ministries of education and representatives of universities and other institutes of higher education as we'll as experts in charge of economic and social development. Starting from 1 September 1980 it will replace the previous law on higher education (Nr. 19/66) that has been in effect since 1966.

The following article, written for “Higher Education in Europe” by Professor Jiri M#akeri?ka, Director of the Research Institute on Engineering Studies in Prague, presents the main elements of this new law.     

HIGHER EDUCATION IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA: SOME PROBLEMS OF THE TRANSITION PERIOD

The political revolution of November 1989 in Czechoslovakia brought with it a call for systemic changes in higher education, changes which were mandated by the Higher Education Law of May 1990. The Law has given institutions of higher education major academic rights and liberties and has also provided for participative management. The possibility of diversifying study and financial resources as well has also been unveiled. Nevertheless, these positive developments have given rise to problems. Both individual institutions and the system of higher education itself must become more democratic following forty years of oppressive state policies. At the same time, they are also having to face a somewhat restrictive financial situation. Willingly or not, they have to take greater initiatives towards the needs of the economy so that additional resources may be generated. In this ‘context, the new organization and the new institutions of higher education in Czechoslovakia are discussed and recommendations are made for the further development of higher education.

     

PROPOSALS FOR MORE STABLE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN SWITZERLAND

After the somewhat “explosive” increase in student numbers, the need for a more stable situation in higher education development is under discussion in many countries. Proposals for higher education reform in Switzerland, particularly regarding the optimal number of students, have been put forward by Dr. h.c. A.W. Roth, Member of the Swiss Council of Science. A summary of these proposals is given below.     

试论我国高等教育在建设学习型社会中的作用

本文探讨构成学习型社会的基本条件和基本特征 ,以及学习型社会中我国高等教育新的使命。在全面建设小康社会的进程中 ,必须把不断提高人民大众的科学文化知识水平 ,形成全民的学习型社会作为一项重大的战略任务。高等教育在形成学习型社会中 ,应发挥其先导作用 ,并成为实施终身教育的主体力量。     

SRHE CONFERENCE ON STAFF DEVELOPMENT IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

The Annual Conference of the Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE), held from 15 to 16 December 1976 at the University of Surrey, was concerned with the problem of staff development in institutions of higher education with particular reference to the United Kingdom.

The below information is based on papers presented at this meeting.     

SRHE CONFERENCE ON STAFF DEVELOPMENT IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

The Annual Conference of the Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE), held from 15 to 16 December 1976 at the University of Surrey, was concerned with the problem of staff development in institutions of higher education with particular reference to the United Kingdom.

The below information is based on papers presented at this meeting.     

THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE PRESENT SITUATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN GREEK HIGHER EDUCATION

This article gives a bird's eye view of tertiary level environmental education programmes in Greece. As the author points out, environmental education in this country got off to a late start because of a late perception of the need for them. By the end of the 1980's, environmental components had been introduced into teacher training programmes, into the universities both as full course programmes in certain universities and as enrichment courses in most of them, and into the offerings of adult and vocational education. What has evolved is a satisfactory and pragmatic range of offerings to which more must be added to meet increased demand.     

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF ADMINISTRATORS OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES

The professional development of college and university administrators is a problem which receives attention in many discussions on the policy and planning of higher education. In this connection we give below information based on an article by Charles F. Fisher, Director of the Institute for College and University Administrators of the American Council on Education.     

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Quite a large number of international meetings devoted to issues concerning higher education are organized each year. The problems of their contribution to the further development of higher education and research in this field are raised in a thought‐provoking article written for “Higher Education in Europe” by Professor E.A. van Trotsenburg, President of the European Association for Research and Development in Higher Education (EARDHE) and Director of the Institute of International Science and University Didactics, University of Klagenfurt.     

DEVELOPMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY AND US HIGHER EDUCATION

Many educators and planners point out that higher education faces a series of historically significant developments in communications technology. The response to these developments will have a strong impact on the whole system of higher learning. The following article analyses trends as well as their potential consequences, using as an example the situation in the United States. This article is based on the editorial written by George W. Bouham, Editor‐in‐Chief and Publisher of the US magazine “Change”.     

学术职业化与美国高等教育的发展

本文借鉴职业社会学的相关研究成果 ,通过探讨 16 36～ 1914年间 (特别是 19世纪后期 )美国学术职业化进程以及在这个过程中发挥作用的主要因素 ,分析了美国高等教育发展的内在动力机制。     

FUTURE PROSPECTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

Future development of higher education is at present a widely discussed issue in the United Kingdom. This discussion was inspired to a great extent, by a paper “Higher Education into the 1990s: A Discussion Document” issued in February 1978 by the Department of Education and Science (DES) and the Scottish Education Department. (Editor's Note: The main part of this document was published in No.3, May‐June 1978, issue of this Bulletin).

The article presented below reviews prospects of future developments in higher education mainly of the university sector in the United Kingdom in the context of the above document. It is based on the Final Report of the Group on Forecasting and University Expansion established in April 1978 by the Conference of University Administrators (CUA). The Report draws attention to a number of matters which are either not covered or not developed in the Discussion Document. The Chairman of the group was Mr. M.L. Shattock, Academic Register, University of Warwick.