ABSTRACT In common with moves internationally, the direction of post-compulsory education policy in Scotland has been towards the development of a coherent tertiary sector. Using documentary analysis of government and government-commissioned policy documents, this paper considers what the policy direction being pursued by the Scottish Government tells us about the role of Scotland's colleges within a future tertiary sector. Through thematic analysis of four major policy documents the paper identifies seven ‘purposes’ of college education – individual employment and skills development; economic growth and employer needs; delivering government priorities; access and inclusion; providing a route into higher education; sectoral coherence and collaboration; and enriching culture, society and individuals. Using Biesta's three domains of educational purpose (qualification, socialisation and subjectification) as an analytical framework, the paper finds an emphasis on qualification and socialisation, with less focus given to learner agency and subjectification. It is proposed that this limits the ambition for the contribution of college education to the wider tertiary sector and entrenches existing inequalities and divisions within the system.

ABSTRACT This research examines the implications of the 2014 Education and Training Policy (ETP) and its 2023 edition on higher learning institutions (HLIs) in Tanzania. It explores both intended concerns, such as the quality, accessibility, and relevance, and the unintended consequences of leadership, governance, and resource allocation, all with the interest of looking at how the new policy defines all these aspects. This research employs a qualitative method with a systematic review approach focused on reviewing key Tanzania policies, such as the ETP 1995, ETP 2014, and its 2023 edition, alongside other relevant published research, policy reports, and case studies. Different aspects of HLIs are illustrated in how this policy impacts them. These aspects include the system and organisation structure and design, content and curriculum, leadership management and governance, mode of delivery, and learning support services. The study adds to the present body of literature by presenting key policy recommendations and suggestions that policymakers, educators, and other stakeholders may use to address the existing challenges and capitalise on the new policy opportunities for HE transformation. The recommendations in the paper are also meant to enhance the possibilities of developing an efficient and well-equipped higher education system in Tanzania.

ABSTRACT The impact of government policies on universities is an important contemporary question, but one where the existing research base has not been systematically mapped. To understand how recent higher education scholarship has tackled this topic – and in order to lay foundations for future research into policy impact – this article employs a search of papers published in four higher education journals over a decade, along with a complementary database search, to arrive systematically at a sample of 100 studies which investigate the relationship between national-level policies and organisation-level behaviour of higher education institutions. Analysis of these identified studies shows that qualitative methods prevail, particularly interviews with senior university staff, and that the most prevalent conclusion is that the policy impact is ambiguous, often involving unintended consequences or complicated by other factors. Multiple examinations of the same policy’s effects are rare, with consequences for the richness of the conclusions that can be drawn. Only a minority of identified studies are found to engage deeply with the consequences for policymaking, and there is also clear scope for further critical examination of the processes by which policies are interpreted within higher education institutions, and how responses to policy come to be formulated.

ABSTRACT India's higher education sector, the third largest globally, faces significant challenges in delivering consistent service quality across a diverse landscape. This study identifies key enablers and challenges for service quality assessment in Indian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and proposes a comprehensive framework for sustainable improvement. Employing a mixed-methods approach using the SERVQUAL framework, quantitative data were collected from 450 stakeholders (students, faculty, and staff) across 30 public and private HEIs, supplemented with qualitative insights from 100 semi-structured interviews (Vice-Chancellors, Directors, Deans) and document analysis. Findings reveal institutional autonomy, supportive policy frameworks like NEP 2020, technological advancements, and active stakeholder engagement as crucial enablers for service quality assessment. However, barriers such as resource constraints, inconsistent benchmarks, resistance to change, and challenges related to a diverse student population hinder assurance efforts. The proposed framework provides a scalable model with a phased implementation roadmap and defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), applicable to diverse contexts. It contributes to enhanced institutional resilience and aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). This research offers actionable insights for policymakers and institutional leaders to elevate service quality, improve student outcomes, and enhance global competitiveness. Future research directions include longitudinal studies, cross-national comparisons, and exploring AI-driven solutions.

ABSTRACT This article examines the Mexican government’s recently curtailed CONACYT international scholarships and its sponsored masters’ students who studied in Sweden between 2013 and 2020. It contrasts CONACYT’s human capital theory-based justifications with the experiences of ten sponsored alumni and indicators covering eighty-five such alumni from major Swedish universities. Employing a framework from the economics and sociology of conventions, it highlights institutional stability challenges involving scholarships amidst varying conceptions of worth and changing societal conventions. Findings show that participants express the value of their education and view possibilities for ‘giving back’ in ways that clearly differ from CONACYT’s stated aims – and in ways that do not depend upon physical return. Further analysis indicates under 20% of this group of alumni has returned to Mexico. Non-return had been a widely acknowledged but under-enumerated and nebulous issue which CONACYT previously dismissed. Recent research firmly establishes non-return as a significant fact. This study complements such findings, and using a novel framework, demarcates incoherence, tensions and criticism of CONACYT’s rationales in relation to the institution of ‘scholarships’ in Mexico. It thereby provides insights into CONACYT’s recent radical reform and identifies potential snares for programmes using similar rationale.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to analyze organizational democracy and organizational alienation behaviours of faculty members at universities, along with the relationship between these two variables. Applying surveying methodological approach, the data have been obtained from 364 faculty members working at four public and two foundation universities in İzmir in 2019–2020 academic year. The data have been analyzed in quantitative research design methods and in terms of the findings, it has revealed that the level of organizational democracy perceptions and organizational alienation behaviours of faculty members is moderate. Besides, it has been found that the level of the organizational democracy perceptions of faculty members working at foundation universities is higher than that of those working at public universities. Additionally, the level of organizational alienation behaviours of the faculty members working at foundation universities, is lower than that of those working at public universities. Moreover, it has been observed that the level of organizational democracy perceptions and organizational alienation behaviours of faculty members indicate a significant difference as for certain demographic variables, including age, professional seniority and title. Lastly, a moderate – negative relationship between organizational democracy perceptions and organizational alienation behaviours of faculty members has been found in the research results (r = −0,663).

ABSTRACT This study aims to elucidate the policy’s rationale-building for the inclusion of English-medium degree programmes in Japanese higher education. The concept of ‘externalisation’ is employed as the lens to explore the degree to which international references are used to build consensus among multiple government councils with different interests. Based on discourse analysis of five government councils’ minutes, it was found that international references were insufficiently interpreted and utilised by councils with economic interests as a policy tool to provide validity for English-medium degree programmes from the perspective of securing foreign talents for domestic economic benefits. Due to the marginalization of careful voices from educational experts/educators in its implementation and adaptation to the current higher education system, one important function of externalisation in modifying international references with the local context was not fully activated. For policymaking that leads to a lucrative transition from rationale building to its implementation, the study argues the need to secure more proactive involvement of experts in (higher) education at an early stage of policy discussion. A more nuanced interpretation of international references will help examine adaptability to the current higher education system in individual countries’ contexts.

ABSTRACT Risk-based approaches to higher education are in a number of countries seen as a way to create more effective and efficient regulation. Australia was an early mover in this direction, initiating risk-based regulation in 2011 when the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) was established as Australia’s new national higher education quality assurance agency. This paper analyzes the characteristics and changes in the evolution of risk-based regulation over the period 2011–2024. Drawing on extensive document analysis, independent third-party analysis, and a small number of Delphi-interviews, we identify three distinct phases in TEQSA’s approach to risk-based regulation: (i) ‘hyper-regulation’, (ii) a more dynamic regulatory approach, and (iii) an approach balancing protection as well as regulation of providers. The paper contributes to the discussion on risk-based regulation by refining existing conceptual models, analyzing how risk-based regulatory approaches evolve over time, thus allowing for insights of value for risk-based regulators elsewhere.