Academic Systems and Professional Conditions in Five European Countries (original) (raw)
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Higher education increasingly has become a topic of attention-both in the public discourse and in research activities. Systematic knowledge is becoming a more and more important resource for technological progress, economic growth, societal well-being and cultural enhancement. Higher education is the core institutional sector for the generation and dissemination of systematic knowledge and for training persons to handle knowledge in all sectors of society. As a consequence, attention is paid notably to the quantitative and structural development of higher education, to research, teaching and learning as well as to governance, organisation and funding of higher education (cf. various overviews in Clark and Neave 1992 ; Forest and Altbach 2006). The academic profession, i.e. the persons responsible for the core functions at higher education institutions and possibly at neighbour institutions (e.g. public research institutions and other tertiary education institutions), has not been in the limelight of discussion and analysis as often as other various key developments and activities of higher education. But the academic profession needs to be addressed as it has been become clear that the situation, the views and activities of the academic profession deserve special attention. In general debates about the characteristics of the academic profession, four issues tend to be underscored. First, the process of becoming a regular member of the academic profession clearly differs from that of other professions in that the
Modernisation of Higher Education in Europe: Academic Staff--2017. Eurydice Report
2017
Chapter 2: Academics and their Qualifications 2.1. Doctoral degree: a starting point of an academic career? 2.2. Qualification requirements within academic careers Conclusions Chapter 3: The Recruitment of Academic Staff 3.1. Top-level authorities' legislation on recruitment of academic staff 3.2. Recruitment methods 3.3. Recruitment process 3.4. Equal opportunities 3.5. Recruitment management Conclusions Chapter 4: Employment and Working Conditions in Academia 4.1. Employment conditions in academia 4.2. Duties and working time of academic staff 4.3. Remuneration of academic staff 4.4. Continuing professional development (CPD) of academic staff 4.5. Monitoring of employment and working conditions in academia Conclusions Chapter 5: Quality Assurance and Evaluation of Academic Staff 5.1. The European context for quality assurance 5.2. External quality assurance 5.3. Individual evaluation of academic staff Conclusions Chapter 6: Internationalisation and Staff Mobility 6.1. Top-level strategies for the internationalisation of higher education 6.2. Top-level monitoring of staff mobility 6.3. Top-level support for specific actions related to internationalisation Conclusions Modernis ation of Higher Educ ation in Europe: Ac ademic Staff-4 Annexes Annex 1: National diagrams of academic staff categories Sources of statistical data included in national diagrams Annex 2: Examples of large-scale programmes for academic staff mobility References Glossary Acknowledgements This report aims to provide insight into the realities faced by higher education academic staff at a time of fast-moving change and increasing societal demand. Fluctuating student numbers, new funding and steering mechanisms are among the features of today's European higher education landscape, but not enough is known about how academic staff are affected by such changes. As academic staff are vital for the success of higher education, this report places them centre stage. The report is divided into six chapters. An introductory chapter provides contextual information on the higher education environment. Subsequent chapters examine the qualification requirements for academic staff, the recruitment process, employment and working conditions in academia, external quality assurance procedures, and top-level strategies for internationalisation. The report also includes national diagrams showing key characteristics of academic staff categories. The report draws on several data sources. It is based mainly on qualitative data gathered from the Eurydice National Units. This has been complemented by a range of research reports, as well as by reports and databases produced by international organisations. Information has also been collected through surveys to academic staff trade unions and quality assurance agencies. Alongside qualitative information, some chapters also include statistical data from international surveys and databases. These main findings highlight key issues for consideration by policy makers. Academic staff are a heterogeneous group in European higher education The degree of difference in academic staff categories from one country to another is a striking feature of the European higher education landscape. The national diagrams annexed to this report, while aiming to make national categories comparable, also reveal a wide range of distinctions and national variations (see Annex 1). Academic staff can be differentiated by a number of features: their main activities (teaching and research; teaching only or research only), the type of institution in which they work (university of other higher education institution), their contractual status (indefinite or fixed-term contracts) as well as their integration or not within a clearly defined career path (see Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 and Annex 1). The extent to which top-level authorities monitor employment and working conditions of academics varies from one country to another-some top-level authorities monitoring a wider range of aspects compared to others (see Chapter 4, Section 4.5, Figure 4.8). There is also a lack of comparable European statistics on academic employment and working conditions, including on staff contracts and on the proportion of staff working in externally-funded positions. Establishing comparable data in these areas would require an investment in the development of commonly shared concepts and definitions (see Chapter 4, Sections 4.1.1 and 4.5). Content of the report The report is structured in six chapters: Chapter 1 provides contextual information that aims to help the reader to understand the environment in which academic staff in Europe operate today. Background statistical indicators set the scene for qualitative investigation in the comparative report. The statistical data focuses on participation of students and staff, and the characteristics of the academic staff body, while qualitative indicators capture issues relating to higher education governance. Chapter 2 examines qualification requirements of academic staff. Following a career development perspective, the chapter starts by looking at the doctoral degree, enquiring about the status of doctoral candidates, the role of the doctorate in an academic career and the content of doctoral training. It then considers career progression in academia, looking, in particular, at procedures through which academics become recognised members of their community. Chapter 3 deals with the recruitment of academic staff. It examines the scope and coverage of legislation on the matter, the main methods used for recruitment, selected aspects of the recruitment process, and the degree of involvement of top-level authorities. (1) Launched in 2011 by the Commission's Communication 'Supporting growth and jobs-An Agenda for the Modernisation of Europe's Higher Education Systems' (European Commission, 2011a). (2) Including in line with the 'European Charter for Researchers and Code of Conduct for their Recruitment'.
London and New York: Routledge, 2019
European academics have been at the centre of ongoing higher education reforms, as changes in university governance and funding have led to changes in academic work and life. Discussing the academic profession, and most importantly, its increasing stratification across Europe, Changing European Academics explores the drivers of these changes as well as their current and expected results. This comparative study of social stratification, work patterns and research productivity: * Examines eleven national, higher education systems across Europe (Austria, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland and the United Kingdom) * Provides a panoramic view of the European academic profession * Confronts misconceptions of academic work and life with compelling results and detailed analyses * Discusses new dilemmas inherent to the changing social and economic environments of higher education A thoughtful and comprehensive study of the changing academic profession in Europe, this book will be of interest to higher education practitioners, managers and policy makers, both in Europe and globally. Changing European Academics will benefit anyone whose work relates to changing academic institutions and changing academic careers. ................................................................ https://www.routledge.com/Changing-European-Academics-A-Comparative-Study-of-Social-Stratification/Kwiek/p/book/9780815396482..................................................... Table of Contents Series Introduction; Introduction: Changing Career Structures, Award and Recognition Systems, and Work Patterns; Chapter 1. Academic Performance Stratification: Inequality in the Knowledge Production; Chapter 2. Academic Salary Stratification: Productivity and Income; Chapter 3. Academic Power Stratification: Collegiality and University Governance; Chapter 4. International Research Stratification: International Collaboration and Productivity; Chapter 5. Academic Role Stratification: Patterns in Teaching, Research and Productivity across Academic Generations; Chapter 6. Academic Age Stratification: Predictable Careers in Volatile Institutional Environments; Chapter 7. Conclusions and Policy Implications; Statistical Appendices; Bibliography Features Presents a comprehensive, cross-national picture of the changing academic profession in Europe and confronts academics across Europe. Academics from major European systems and beyond can view their own academic trajectories within the mirror of a larger, cross-national story. Discusses new dilemmas inherent to the changing social and economic environments of higher education. Will feed into a range of study programmes within the field of education policy and higher education policy. Relevant at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and in both in Europe and beyond. Author is highly regarded research and is internationally recognised. Summary European academics have been at the centre of ongoing higher education reforms, as changes in university governance and funding have led to changes in academic work and life. Discussing the academic profession, and most importantly, its increasing stratification across Europe, Changing European Academics explores the drivers of these changes as well as their current and expected results. This comparative study of social stratification, work patterns and research productivity: Examines eleven national, higher education systems across Europe (Austria, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland and the United Kingdom) Provides a panoramic view of the European academic profession Confronts misconceptions of academic work and life with compelling results and detailed analyses Discusses new dilemmas inherent to the changing social and economic environments of higher education A thoughtful and comprehensive study of the changing academic profession in Europe, this book will be of interest to higher education practitioners, managers and policy makers, both in Europe and globally. Changing European Academics will benefit anyone whose work relates to changing academic institutions and changing academic careers. From the author: The book is needed for several reasons. First, European academics have been at the very centre of ongoing higher education reforms in most European countries. Changes in university governance and funding have led to changes in academic work and life. Traditional theories of social stratification in science do not suffice to explain the directions of ongoing changes as viewed from a cross-European empirical perspective. Academics are in the eye of the storm, and this book shows selected dimensions of the drivers of change and their current and expected results. Second, only in the last decade did it become possible to study the academic profession – their academic attitudes, behaviours and perceptions – from a comparative European perspective. Until recently, it was difficult, if not impossible, to present a comprehensive cross-national picture of the changing academic profession in Europe. Most studies were single-nation, and most published research on the academic profession was country-specific, with chapters being devoted to academics in the context of various aspects of changing university governance and funding. Third, this book is needed because it provides a panoramic view of the European academic profession, specifically the university sector, in eleven national systems (Austria, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland and the United Kingdom). Until recently, gaining such a perspective was possible only at a very general level. The quantitative background is 17,211 questionnaires returned across Europe, and the qualitative background is 400 semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted across Europe as part of the global CAP and European EUROAC projects on the academic profession (“Changing Academic Profession” and “Academic Profession in Europe: Responses to Societal Challenges”, respectively). Third, this book is needed because it confronts misconceptions of academic work and life with compelling results and detailed analyses performed on large-scale primary empirical material collected across Europe. It asks traditional research questions in new empirical contexts, and it also asks entirely new questions that are pertinent to the changing conditions of academic work. Finally, this book is needed because it confronts academics across Europe with new dilemmas inherent to the changing social and economic environments of higher education, as seen in extensive empirical material. Academics from major European systems and beyond can view their own academic trajectories within the mirror of a larger, cross-national story.
2018
The higher education sector is increasingly important to society and national economies. Recruitment to academic positions, academic career prospects, and working conditions are critical issues in this regard. Importantly, academic career structures are characterised by different principles for organising academic careers which show distinct national variations. Currently the Norwegian academic career system is under discussion and the Ministry of Education and Research has appointed an expert committee (the Underdal committee) to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the Norwegian academic career system, whether changes are necessary, and to provide recommendations for improvement. The objective of this report is to provide a comparative knowledge basis for the Underdal committee.
The Changing Paths in Academic Careers in European Universities: Minor Steps and Major Milestones
In: Tatiana Fumasoli, Gaele Goastellec and Barbara M. Kehm (eds.), Academic Careers in Europe – Trends, Challenges, Perspectives. Dordrecht: Springer, 41-68, 2014
The academic career in Europe used to be much more unstructured and much less competitive than today. Currently, as reflected in interviews carried out throughout Europe, “each step in a career is competitive” (CH_18-MAN), from doctoral and postdoctoral to junior academic and senior academic positions. There are significant variations across the European countries studied regarding the level of competition, often different in different places occupied in the academic hierarchy. But increasing competition has come to the academic profession and is bound to stay: the competition for part-time and full-time academic positions, for research grants and research funding, and tokens of academic prestige. The academic progression today has to be made systematically, in increasingly clearly defined timeframes, and the academic career seems to be sliced into comparable time periods across European systems. Usually, the timeframes are doctoral studies, employment in postdoctoral and junior positions, employment in lower-level senior positions and, finally, in higher-level senior positions (such as traditional chair holding and/or full professorships), and all career steps have to be reached within a certain time period. The competition in academic settings means most often measurable research outputs expected from academics for particular time periods or for particular stages of the academic career. Expectations from academics in the same stages of their careers are becoming largely similar throughout Europe. There seem to emerge an interesting combination of career progression requirements linked to age and/or specific time frames in academic careers. Increasing competition in all stages of careers is reported, and the competition is related to both employment (securing a post in the system; or retaining a post in the system; or progression up the academic ladder in the system) and securing research funding. The link between research funding and employment is viewed as strong as never before. In many cases, external funding generation actually means employment, especially for younger academics. A growing number of positions in universities are fixed-term, externally funded and project-based, especially at doctoral and postdoctoral levels.
The Academic Profession between National Characteristics and International Trends
Hungarian Educational Researcch Journal, 2014
It is widely assumed that higher education systems converge across economically advanced countries, and the term "globalisation" is often for claiming that a bundle of factors implying modernisation and worldwide competition are the drivers of convergence. Surveys of the academic profession undertaken jointly in a substantial number of countries in the 1990s and in recent years provide the opportunity of examining whether scholars at institutions at higher education note an increasing similarity of conditions and become themselves more similar in their activities. In summing up the findings, we certainly note some examples of extreme differences by country. Altogether, if we believe in a strong convergence of higher education across Europe, we could describe the academics' views and activities as substantially varied. But if the take into consideration traditional differences in the character of national higher education systems, we could consider this spread as moderate.
Higher Education, 1997
Interest in the status and functions, the potential and the vulnerability of the academic profession has grown in recent times. International comparison is of special interest in this context: are the problems experienced more or less universal, or are there options and conditions in individual countries which might suggest solutions for the future? The paper analyses some findings and implications of the 'International Survey of the Academic Profession' with a special focus on the various subgroups of academics in the European countries involved in this empirical study. The analyses focuses on the employment and working conditions, as well as the way academics handle their various professional tasks and functions. Considerable differences between the university professoriate, middle-rank and junior staff at universities and staff at other institutions of higher education are noted. At least in the majority of European countries surveyed, one would hesitate to consider them part of the same profession. By and large, however, the relatively independent nature of their jobs allows most academics to find areas of professional activity which are the source of professional attachment and satisfaction.
Higher education and academic staff in a period of policy and system change
Higher Education, 2001
Recent changes in national legal agreements concerning appointment, promotion and working conditions have affected the work of academics in Swedish higher education. The current structure of the higher education system, descriptive data on working conditions, and institutional governance form the background for discussing academic autonomy and the academic profession in the future.