Access to top universities through alternative pathways: experiences of transfer students in Hong Kong

In India's higher education, denotative and connotative gender inequality live together, more evident among vulnerable groups like lower Social Castes, Social Tribes, Muslims, and other minorities. The educational administrative framework with deep segmentation and various levels of government and the hierarchical class system with strong male preference has promoted to a certain degree, gender equality in higher education has been achieved via the formulation and implementation of a number of formal systems comprised of laws and regulations. However, these formal systems form institutional shackles, which hinder the implementation of further realization, affecting the higher education system. The present study aims to understand how India improved its gender equality in recent years and what measurements the government of India took so that we can fetch some experiences and lessons from India to promote gender equality in Pakistan's higher education. With this background, we use the All India Survey of Higher Education (2015-16 to 2019-20), Ministry of Education of India to calculate the gender equality status in Indian higher education by using Gender-Equality Index (GEI) method. The results show an improvement towards gender equality at all higher education levels. The Indian government has established a number of classifications, as well as associated laws and policies, and taken required actions to ensure compliance with applicable rules and policies. These systems have played a specific role in promoting gender equality in higher education.

This paper examines meticulously the situation in achieving gender equality in higher education in Pakistan historically (meticulously) and critically. The objective of this research is to analyze the objectives of gender equality in higher education in Pakistani society. Basic Qualitative Research Design was used in this study under the Interpretivist paradigm which allows us to take multiple perspectives and to understand any phenomenon. Twelve(N=12) Semi semi-structured interviews were conducted with educationists and policymakers who met the inclusion criteria. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and then analyzed using thematic analysis. Three themes were identified through analysis. This study reveals that our policymakers and educationists have shared their perceptions about the roles of women in the transitional society of Pakistan and the objectives of higher education. Both higher education and gender equality or gender equality in higher education compositely aim at the empowerment of women. But what empowerment means in a real sense and what is the objective of such empowerment, no one seems to have an accurate understanding of these issues.

This study offers a thorough examination of South Africa's National Development Plan (NDP), emphasising its dedication to advancing gender equality in higher education. Notwithstanding constitutional assurances of equality, considerable gender discrepancies endure in South African higher education institutions (HEIs), with women encountering institutional obstacles that impede their entry and achievement. The research utilises a systematic review approach, consolidating current academic literature to discern the problems and opportunities related to the NDP's gender equality objectives. Critical findings indicate that structural obstacles, including socio-cultural views and financial limitations, substantially hinder women's engagement in higher education. The under-representation of women in leadership positions within higher education institutions fosters a cycle of inequity, as cultural beliefs and institutional regulations frequently neglect the distinct problems encountered by female students. The investigation underscores the necessity of employing an intersectional approach to comprehend the intricacies of gender inequality in higher education. This study emphasises the importance of executing targeted interventions and unified national policies to cultivate an inclusive educational environment that empowers women and corresponds with the overarching objectives of sustainable development. By resolving these difficulties, South Africa can advance towards genuine gender equality in its higher education system, thereby fostering national development and social progress.

This chapter introduces the topic of gender equality and inequality in higher education, using feminist institutionalism as the underlying theoretical perspective. Drawing on a range of methodologies and focusing on key topical themes it identifies the discourses which have inhibited change, as well as what can be done to facilitate transformation. Thus, it focuses on institutional resistance; and the legitimating discourses of excellence, choice, displacement, biological essentialism and gender neutrality. In highlighting the importance of gender-competent leadership and empowering equality structures as ways of creating change, it explores the situation in 14 countries—Australia, Austria, Germany, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Sweden, the Czech Republic, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States and Turkey. The chapter examines the relationship between their ranking on global gender gap indices and key indicators of gender equality in universities, and suggests that without organisational transformation the effect of any intervention will be continuously undermined by the ‘normalised’ gender inequality perpetuating processes in higher education.

This article examines the relationship between gender equality and neo liberal governmentality in Swedish higher education. Neo liberal governmentality, such as market orientation, deregulation and audit technologies have to an increasingly extent been incorporated into, and shaped the very nature of Swedish academia. Yet, at the same time as the government has reduced direct steering of higher education, it has launched gender equality initiatives in the form of funding for temporary projects targeted at the academia. Against this backdrop, we are interested in analysing the relationship between gender equality policies and these new technologies of steering. We have analysed the government’s latest political initiative on gender equality, The Delegation for Gender Equality in Higher Education, and conducted interviews with academics and civil servants engaged in gender equality work at three Swedish universities. Adopting a Foucauldian framework, it is suggested that the two main forms of neo-liberal governmentality – marketisation and managerialism – are integrated parts of gender equality work, contributing to a de-politicisation of gender equality. While most informants described their work in terms of managerialism and martketisation, some expressed sceptical views and argued that competitiveness is a problematic way of doing gender equality. In order for gender equality to be ”marketable” and possible to sell, it has to be formulated in a way that does not appear too controversial, some argued. Interestingly, yet another form of governmentality was found to be central in the interviews – the wish for leadership. The lack of political steering (or state regulation) of gender equality has paradoxically lead to a situation in which calls for leadership appear legitimate and hierarchies within the university in general remain in large unproblematised.

This chapter provides a narrative of the key policies, initiatives and actions that have transformed both the landscape of gender equality in Higher Education in Ireland, and the role of gender equality in research policy and public engagement in STEM over the last decade. It aims to provide leaders committed to gender equality with examples of good practice within the EU-Irish context. The first part of the chapter focuses on the EU gender equality strategies for Higher Education. It explains the review of gender equality undertaken by the Irish Higher Education Authority (HEA), the significant findings, and the National Gender Action Plan designed to address the issues identified. It contains examples of high-level initiatives implemented to deliver on key actions. These include centres of excellence for Gender Equality, and affirmative actions taken to address imbalance at senior levels in the Irish Higher Education system. It also provides an account of Irish participation in the UK Advance Higher Education (Advance HE) gender supports including the women’s leadership programme ‘Aurora’, and the ‘Athena SWAN’ charter that provides an accreditation framework for auditing, supporting and transforming gender equality in Higher Education Institutions. For context, some examples of implementing these in an Irish Institution are provided. The chapter then reviews the gender equality strategies and policies of the main research funding organisations in Ireland, namely Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), and the Irish Research Council (IRC). It indicates how gender equality manifests in achieving gender balance in the Irish research community; and in funding applications and consequently in research design to embed the gender element. It also provides an overview of recent national studies carried out to analyse the Irish public’s perceptions and awareness of STEM in society, and factors leading to career and study choices by young Irish people. It signposts to the recent actions to address gender equality provided under SFI’s remit for public engagement in STEM.

This paper represents the results of a research conducted between 2022 and 2023 within a project1 between two private universities: Singidunum University in Serbia, and CY Cergy Paris University in France. The aim of the research is to investigate and analyze the attitudes of teaching and non-teaching staff at Singidunum University towards gender equality and gender quotas in this higher education institution, as the new Law on Gender Equality has been adopted. The research results show that the academic community at Singidunum University accepts gender equality as a concept which is necessary in contemporary society, but they do not accept gender quotas as a tool for reaching gender equality in higher education institutions. The aim of this paper is to present the results of the research which can be beneficial in the future decision-making process related to gender equality and higher education.

Purpose This article aims to address topical issues in the debate on gender (in)equality in higher education in Europe and beyond, and highlights future perspectives of research and practice. Design/methodology/approach It is based on a conference report of the 5th European Conference on Gender Equality in Higher Education that was hosted by Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany, 28-31 August 2007. Findings Number matters (“wore women into science”), but quality matters more: more women are needed in top positions in higher education, science, technology and engineering, and more female participation in higher education decision-making processes. It is necessary to reveal gender biases of recent strategies in higher education. Exclusion happens also among women; an intersectional approach is therefore called for, which includes primary and secondary educations as well as labour market and careers in the academe. Practical implications Equality programmes have to consider the diversity of gender in higher education and to strengthen women's lobbying in European education and science politics. Originality/value This conference brought together about 350 participants from 56 countries. Thus, it provided an excellent opportunity for knowledge exchange with European scholars and beyond, which is reported in this paper.

This chapter presents the current landscape of women in higher education in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and discusses the potential implications for policies and practices in higher education related to gender equality from the literature. A specific focus is placed on the status of female student populations, with an emphasis on the unique challenges faced by mothers pursuing higher education. Furthermore, the chapter makes an examination of the position of female academics in GCC within a global perspective, while also addressing potential consequences. A thorough investigation of female leadership roles in the GCC is also conducted. Finally, we explore the potential implications for policies and practices in higher education related to gender issues at the governmental, institutional, and societal levels. We propose a framework (Mott, H. (2022). Gender equality in higher education: maximising impacts. British Council.) for gender equality in higher education. We leave the readers with this framework to adapt and implement as relevant to their own context.

This study examined the idea of gender equality in higher education in non-Western countries using the example of South Korea. As a result of globalization, there is a conflict of traditional values and Western ideas (for example gender equality issues), even in countries with stable cultural traditions. The main purpose of this study is to identify the gender-related challenges in higher education that are relevant to Korean society. Moreover, it is important to find out the ways how Korean society meet the challenge. In order to achieve this goal, the discourse analysis was chosen in poststructuralist interpretation. The authors also use gender stereotyping analysis in advertising to assess the situation of women representation in higher education in the Republic of Korea. The reason of this analysis is the fact that in advertising there is the most common and recognizable view on representation of women in different spheres and on traditional “female” gender role which do not include the necessity of higher education and career success. The achievement of gender equality in higher education in South Korea has been an important part of public policy over the past 30 years. The article addresses issues such as accessibility of higher education for men and women, the women’s realization of their education in the labor market and the professional employment of women in higher education.

Recently Published Dissertations on Community and Junior Colleges

Reviewed by: Improving Completion Rates Among Disadvantaged Students Juan R. Guardia Improving Completion Rates Among Disadvantaged Students Liz Thomas, Michael Cooper, and Jocey Quinn (Eds.) Stoke on Trent, U.K.: Trentham Books, 2003, 176 pages, $27.50 (softcover) What are colleges and universities across the globe doing to assist disadvantaged students? What can be done to improve their retention and graduation rates in higher education? The answers to these and other related questions are found in Improving Completion Rates Among Disadvantaged Students. Editors Thomas, Cooper and Quinn gathered a group of 14 higher education professionals from around the world, including Mike Abramson, Helen Anderson, Margaret Andrews, John Benseman, David Coltman, Kay Gardner, Stephen J. Handel, Margaret Heagney, Alfred Herrera, Peter Jones, Patricia McLean, Judy Nicholl, Margaret Noble, and Vincent Tinto, who have substantial experience working with access, attrition and retention programs to contribute to this volume. Although they all originate in countries dominated by the Anglo-Saxon culture, they have a general validity dealing as they do with central issues that have to be addressed if we are to come to terms with the problem of drop-out. (p. xiii) The book is organized into eight chapters. In the first, "Establishing Conditions for Student Success," Tinto describes four factors that contribute to student retention at colleges and universities in the United States (U.S.): (1) institutional commitment, (2) academic and social support, (3) involvement, and (4) learning. "Students are more likely to persist when they find themselves in settings that hold high expectations for their learning, provide needed academic and social support, and actively involve them with other students and faculty in learning" (p. 5). In addition, Tinto describes the importance of federal and state programs targeted at disadvantaged students and how institutions are being held accountable for student retention and graduation. In chapter two, "The Implications of Globalisation for Supporting Students with a Disability: An Australian Perspective," McLean, Heagney, and Gardner introduce us to their work with students with disabilities in Australia. Many of Australia's universities employ Disability Liasion Officers who provide services for disabled students, including those planning to study abroad and international students with disabilities studying in Australia. We also learn about the culture clash experienced by international students with disabilities and how Australia's Federal Disability Discrimination Act of 1992 and the federal government's equity blueprint, A Fair Chance for All: Education That's Within Everyone's Reach, play an important role in Australian higher education. Chapter three, "Access and Retention of Students from Educationally Disadvantaged Backgrounds: Insights from the University of California" provides readers with a U.S. perspective and describes how the University of California (UC) system addressed the issue of diversity on campus after Proposition 209 prohibited the use of race in admissions in state agencies. Handel and Herrera describe how UC created an Outreach Task Force (OTF) in charge of developing new ways of attracting disadvantaged students to UC [End Page 99] campuses. One of their initial findings included how "a significant number of underrepresented students attend a California Community College yet never transfer to a UC campus" (p. 38). The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) responded with the creation of the Centre for Community College Partnerships, which "develop academic partnerships among UCLA and community college faculty and administrators to increase the number of underrepresented students who apply and are admitted to the University of California" (p. 44). UCLA also offers the Summer Intensive Transfer Experience (SITE), a six-day academic program for educationally disadvantaged, low-income, first-generation, underrepresented community college students, which prepares them to transfer to a four-year institution (Handel & Herrera, 2003). In chapter four, Andrews discusses "Access and Learner-centred Approaches to Teaching and Learning in Further and Higher Education." The chapter focuses on a qualitative study of students, teachers, and staff who participate in programs targeted at disadvantaged groups, including women, Black and ethnic minorities, and lower-socioeconomic groups at two further education colleges and two universities in London. Further education colleges are "voluntary and private training organizations usually at sub-degree levels" (p. 54) and higher education is referred to mainstream universities. Results found that further education colleges are more consistent in...

Women’s representation in education-especially in higher education- is an important part of broader gender equity discussions. The gender imbalance in education is not a new issue; and Turkey is no exception. In fact, this has been the subject of an ongoing debate for years throughout the world. Governments from all around the world try to enhance gender equity in education, along with other facets of the issue, such as economical, social, work, etc. Since its inception, Turkey’s largest distance education provider Anadolu University, even though it is not an intended institutional policy, contribute to enhance the equal representation of both men and women in higher education. The study specifically aimed at to assess how gender ratio has evolved over 32 years, whether spatial clustering exists within the gender data around the country, and to what extent women were represented in higher education programs. To answer these queries, gender ratio datasets were examined using visual (mapping) and spatial cluster analyses. Findings support that, distant programs of the university have helped more women participate in higher education programs across the country over the years, leading to relatively more normalized distribution of gender in education across the geographical regions. Findings are encouraging for the University administration towards tailoring programs to attract more women, and the disadvantaged groups into the academic programs. Also, fee and payment structures of the courses can be re-aligned to better serve disadvantaged regions of the country. In addition, institutions all around the world providing mass distance education can review Anadolu University’s cost and program structure to create their own structures to enhance their gender equality issues in education.

The paper seeks to analyse the benefits and problems of ICT-driven university courses regarding the issues of social equality. Advances in technology, along with student enrolment size, have encouraged many universities to offer ICTs-driven distance learning courses. Current literature suggests that ICT have contributed significantly into solving the issues of social equality in higher education by making higher education institutions more accessible for diverse student population. Currently, students have equal access to universities irrespective of their gender, race, income, place of residence, health status, special needs, and complex schedules. Yet, the question arises whether the equality in access to higher education implies equality of learning outcomes. The paper discusses quality issues of ICTs-driven learning practices in higher education institutions from the perspective of the key social actors. Data were collected from a serious of sociological surveys conducted in the Ural region (Russia) in 2015–2016. The main focus is on the quality of learning outcomes: fundamental knowledge, professional skills, and capacities required by the labour market. The authors argue that on-line ICT-driven learning provides numerous benefits in terms of equality of educational opportunities. However, there are constraints to achieving high quality learning outcomes. These can include lack of appropriate learning practices and interaction modes. The authors conclude that, despite ICT educational potential educators must take consistent action to ensure high quality standards of ICT-driven higher education programs.

This paper describes a summit on Community Colleges in the Evolving STEM Education Landscape organized by a committee of the National Research Council (NRC) and the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and held at the Carnegie Institution for Science on December 15, 2011. This summit followed a similar event organized by Dr. Jill Biden, spouse of the Vice President, and held at the White House in October 2010, which sought to bring national attention to the changing missions and purposes of community colleges in contemporary American society.1 The NRC/NAE event built on the White House summit, while focusing on the changing roles of community colleges in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. An in-depth summary of the summit was prepared by the NRC and NAE for publication in late Spring 2012 by the National Academies Press (NRC and National Academy of Engineering, 2012 ). This paper provides a synopsis of that report, which is available at www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13399, and emphasizes how we can use the report to improve STEM education for our students, but also how much progress still needs to be made to realize this ideal.