bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microfinance Institutions in Yemen “Hurdles and Remedies”
Authors: Alshebami Ali Saleh , Rengarajan V.
Published: February 2017

The objective of this paper is to investigate the different types of hurdles limiting the growth and development of microfinance institutions operating in Yemen, and to suggest relevant recommendations that be used as a backup in the process of taking remedial measures. The study is both descriptive and analytical in nature. The data collected is based on both primary and secondary sources. The primary data was collected during the field study of ongoing PhD research study on the role of microfinance in mitigating poverty and unemployment in Yemen conducted in October 2015 by Mr. Ali Alshebami. Only a sample of nine MFIs was selected from The MFIs operating in the market, as the remaining MFIs could not be easily reached due to the prevailing persistent internal war situation. A few of these hurdles include but not limited the existence of insufficient funds necessary for financial business and the availability of poor physical infrastructure in the rural areas. In addition, the shortage of qualified human resources, the poor diversification of products and services, the political instability of the country, the wrong perception about lending to the poor and many others. Among other remedial measures, investible funds and designing of integrated financial products with the inclusion of micro insurance are essential, these two vital ones along with including the financial linkages between MFIs and formal banking institutions should be adopted for more enhancement. The study confirms that there are several difficulties and challenges, which hinder the MFIs from progressing and achieving their mission in terms of outreach to the poor people.
Religious Education in Greece Under the Scope of Interculturalism
Authors: Tsaliki Evanthia
Published: February 2017

The aim of this presentation is to provide an overview of the subject of Religious Education (RE) taught in Greek primary and secondary schools through the lens of the diversity existing in the Greek society. The presentation refers to the Christian Orthodox oriented content – and the roots of this orientation - of the school textbooks and the curriculum on the subject of Religious Education related and compared with the Greek legislation and the European guidelines on Religious Education in detail. The issue was explored through the phenomenological approach which illuminates the subject of RE taught in Greek schools via the method of document analysis. The document analysis showed that the Greek legislation and the curricula of RE seem to be by and large consistent with the European guidelines on the freedom of religious conscience, as this is preserved in some way. However, neither the development of inter-religious dialogue nor the encouragement of pupils to discover different religions is foreseen within school with the exemption of some lessons relevant to other religions and faiths less in primary school and high school and more in Lyceum, the attendance of which is optional. In the end, the findings are discussed and some thoughts are expressed regarding the dimension that the subject of Religious Education should take in future in view of the present composition of the population in Greece.
Health Psychology Bulletin: Improving Publication Practices to Accelerate Scientific Progress
Authors: Peters Gjalt-Jorn Ygram , Kok Gerjo , Crutzen Rik , Sanderman Robbert
Published: February 2017

The instrument of scientific publishing, originally a necessary tool to enable development of a global science, has evolved relatively little in response to technological advances. Current scientific publishing practices incentivize a number of harmful approaches to research. Health Psychology Bulletin was founded to address these issues. Health Psychology Bulletin (HPB) is a new open access journal that actively promotes full disclosure through publication of replication and analysis packages and that explicitly welcomes null findings, reports of failed manipulation, replications, as well as regular contributions. HPB strives to publish all conducted studies in a manner that maximizes the potential lessons that can be learned, fostering a shift from a competitive to a collaborative model of science. HPB also implements a double blind peer reviewing procedure that is unblinded and citable once an article is accepted, and HPB will strive to enable post-publication peer reviews. Finally, HPB offers authors the possibility to submit (and publish) their introductions, methods, study protocols and replication packages before data collection, thereby benefiting from the peer review process in optimization of their methodologies. By implementing these innovations, HPB aims to contribute to remedying a number of problems that have recently been identified in the way health psychology science is conducted. In addition, the European Health Psychology Society aims to offer a new accessible, affordable, and flexible outlet to her members (and non-member health psychology researchers).
Reviewer Acknowledgements
Authors: John Albert
Published: February 2017

International Journal of Chemistry wishes to acknowledge the following individuals for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Their help and contributions in maintaining the quality of the journal is greatly appreciated. Many authors, regardless of whether International Journal of Chemistry publishes their work, appreciate the helpful feedback provided by the reviewers. Reviewers for Volume 9, Number 1  Abdul Rouf DarAhmet Ozan GezermanAmirsalar KhandanAna SilvaAyodele Temidayo OdularuBhargava KarumudiBinod P PandeyChanchal Kumar MalikFes Sun FabiyiJignasu P. MehtaKallen Mulilo NalyanyaKhaldun Mohammad Al AzzamLaila A. AbouzeidMohamed AbassMustafa Oguzhan KayaNanda Gunawardhana-Associate EditorNejib Hussein MekniPrathapan SreedharanR. K. DeyRabia RehmanRodrigo Vieira RodriguesShyamal Kumar ChattopadhyaySitaram AcharyaSujan Kumar SarkarVijay RamalingamZhixia Liu             Albert JohnOn behalf of,The Editorial Board of International Journal of ChemistryCanadian Center of Science and Education
miRNA in Cancer Pathology
Authors: Alakeel Mouneera , Al-Doori Zainab
Published: February 2017

MicroRNA/miRNA refers to types of RNA which are non-coding; they are21 to 25 nucleotides in length. In most cases, at particular nucleotide locations, they relate to one or more mRNAs. Deadenylation, cleavage, and alternative procedures of translation’s suppression are the means by which miRNA disturb gene repression. Recent investigations seem to propose that miRNAs are involved in many cell procedures and for this they became perfect targets for usage in healing purposes. Various miRNAs are involved in the development of human vascular diseases, due to their function in modulating vascular cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and apoptosis via their targeted genes. Since vascular diseases are multifactorial and complex, numerous genes may be involved in their progression and regulation. Therefore, miRNAs can also have multiple gene targets, and in some instances, one gene can be modulated by various miRNAs. As of now, more than 800 human microRNAs have been identified using miBase, and work is still being conducted to search for and characterize new miRNAs. With rigorous clinical and fundamental studies, a clear understanding of how miRNAs function, in addition to the ways they can be used as biomarkers and targets for cancer and cardiovascular illnesses, will progress.
Tooth development in the light of cancer survivors’ examination
Authors: Jodłowska Anna , Postek-Stefańska Lidia , Pietraszewska Daria , Sobol-Milejska Grażyna
Published: February 2017

Introduction. The mechanisms determining the final tooth shape and size are still not well understood. Knowing the precise time of an antineoplastic management and analyzing the subsequent complications resulting from the said harmful therapy may be helpful in finding out more about dental development. Aim of the study. To analyze the process of tooth germ growth on the basis of examination of patients treated with chemotherapy. Materials and methods. A total of ten cancer survivors with tooth agenesis and microdontia were interviewed and underwent clinical and radiographic examinations. Results. In all, 38 disturbed teeth were revealed: 11 missing germs (1 first premolar, 5 second premolars, 3 second molars and 2 lateral incisors) and 27 microdontic teeth (9 first and 5 second premolars, 9 second molars, 2 lateral incisors and 2 third molars). Selected patients underwent cancer treatment between 9 months and 10 years of age. In the majority of cases the age at diagnosis slightly preceded the average time when the mineralization of affected teeth began. Conclusions. Cytotoxic therapy may be responsible for the damage to ectodermal germ cells resulting, among others in hypodontia and microdontia. These abnormalities have been described as occurring at the initiation and bud stage, respectively. Taking into account that chemotherapy was most often administered to the examined patients shortly before tooth germ mineralization, it seems possible the anomalies might have occurred at the later stage of tooth development.
Macrophage in periodontal inflammation
Authors: Kuzenko Yevhen , Romanyuk Anatoly , Politun Antonina
Published: February 2017

Aim of the study. To investigate the expression of CD68 and HSP90AA1 in periodontal inflammation. Methods. A total of twenty-seven patients (giant-cell epulis) and thirty patients (acute and chronic inflammations) have been examined for expression of CD68 and HSP90AA1 by hematoxylin – eosin and immunohistochemistry. Results. Strong giant-cell positivity for CD68 was observed in 100% of patients whereas only 85.31% of giant-cell was positive for HSP90AA1 (p lower than 0.05). Strong macrophage immunoreactivity for CD68 was figured in acute 23.2±1.3%, and in chronic 83.1±5.6% (p lower than 0.05) inflammation. Immunoreactivity for HSP90AA1 was fixed in acute and chronic inflammation 98.2±1.79%. Conclusion. Inflammatory macrophages are a group of cells with protective functions, macrophages being more set up in chronic inflammation. Central giant cell epulis is the multinucleated macrophages, formed as a result of chronic inflammation. Population of macrophages resulted in bone resorption.
Parafunctions, signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) among adolescents 14 to 15 years of age
Authors: Urban Magdalena , Suligowska Kladia , Wytrykowska Anna , Prośba-Mackiewicz Maria , Zdrojewski Tomasz , Wrotkowska Magdalena
Published: February 2017

Introduction. Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMD) increasingly affect not only adults but also adolescents. Parafunctions are cited as the most common cause of TMD. Aim of the study. To determine the prevalence of oral parafunctions, signs and symptoms of TMD among adolescents. Methods. The study was performed as a part of an early detection of risk factors for civilization diseases program – SOPKARD1 in 96 children aged 14-15 years. Each participant filled in a questionnaire regarding their oral habits and symptoms of TMD and underwent physical examination of the muscles and temporomadibular joints. The analysis of the mandible mobility models was also made. Results. Leaning one’s chin on the hand (73.68%), lip biting (58.33%) and intensive gum chewing (51.04%) were the most common habits among the study group. Persistence of an infantile swallow pattern was observed in over one-fifth of patients (20.83%). The most common signs were teeth impressions on tongue and cheeks (53.13%), increased muscle tone (57.29%) and dysfunctions in mandibular mobility (53.13%). Most subjects (92.71%) manifested at least one sign or symptom, whereas 46.88% two or three. A statistically significant association was found between chewing gum and muscle response, as well as infantile swallow pattern and open bite and muscle response. Conclusions. Most adolescent aged 14-15 were subject to some parafunctional habits. There is a requirement to introduce an educational program in schools in order to present the destructive consequences of parafunctions on the stomatognathic system health and the possibility of prevention or treatment.
Mexico's Approach to Quality Assurance
Authors: El-Khawas Mohammed , El-Khawas Elaine
Published: February 2017

The last decade has seen substantial growth throughout the world in higher education quality assurance systems. As one knowledgeable observer notes, more than 50 agencies now exist worldwide that have roles related to quality assessment or quality assurance.1 In most cases, these agencies have been mandated by government decrees and follow a design developed by ministry officials. Often these agencies have encountered resistance or criticism. In other instances, their approach has had to be revised extensively— or even disbanded—after a short time. By the late 1980s, Mexican institutions of higher education were in dire need of additional funding. The financial crisis of the 1980s caused a 50 percent decline in the purchasing power of faculty salaries, forcing many qualified academics to quit their jobs or to take on additional employment. This resulted in severe staffing problems and a deterioration in teaching conditions at a time of increasing enrollments. This led to public concern and government demands for improving the quality of higher education. With the economic recovery in the late 1980s, the government was ready to increase public expenditures on higher education but insisted on reforms and increased public accountability.
Quality Assurance Management
Authors: Harman Grant
Published: February 2017

A review of recent international practice in the management of quality assurance shows tremendous variety in approaches and methodologies, providing a wide range of possible models for both systems and institutions.
Graduate Training and Employment in Brazil
Authors: Velloso Jacques , Balbachevsky Elizabeth
Published: February 2017

Since the late 1960s, the Brazilian federal government has directed substantial resources toward the newly created graduate level at the most prestigious Brazilian universities. Direct support for high-level graduate programs provided by CAPES and other Brazilian agencies, bypassing the university bureaucracy, has allowed programs to recruit Ph.D. holders educated abroad as faculty members. Contrary to the experience at the undergraduate level, the government and the academic community have made a decisive effort to assure quality at the graduate level. The Fundação Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)—the Ministry of Education agency in charge of graduate education—has created a sophisticated peer review evaluation system that successfully connects performance with support at this level. This evaluation, relying on the contribution of acknowledged academic leaders in all areas of knowledge in the country, has enhanced academic legitimacy; program evaluations in each area currently tend to be widely accepted by the academic community. Such programs have become the main or sole sites for the institutionalization of research in the Brazilian higher education system.
The New (and Smaller) World of Higher Education
Authors: Eckel Peter , Green Madeleine , Barblan Andris
Published: February 2017

During the last decade, technology, globalization, and competition have caused the ground to shift under higher education, defying national borders and calling into question honored traditions and long-held assumptions—creating a brave new world for higher education.
Graduate Education in Latin America: The Coming of Age
Authors: Balan Jorge
Published: February 2017

A research-based, academically oriented graduate education is today perhaps the most dynamic and innovative sector of higher education in Latin America. Government plays a key role in stimulating demand through regulation, incentives schemes, and the provision of funds for research and development. This article examines academically oriented graduate programs (the MA and PhD degrees) in a few major countries in the region.
Private Higher Education: Patterns and Trends
Authors: Levy Daniel
Published: February 2017

Now virtually all the world's regions have private higher education in the large majority of their countries and pre-existing private sectors have grown strikingly. Only with the 1989 fall of communism did private higher education emerge in modern eastern and central Europe and it spread like wild fire in the first half of the 1990s. Private institutions (old and new) continue to be overwhelmingly financed privately (tuition and fees), more hierarchical governance, and mostly in commercial areas. The growth of forprofit sectors are notable. The development of semi-elite private institutions, while majorities are demand-absorbing, are the trend.
Knowledge Economies: The Singapore Example
Authors: Sidhu Ravinder
Published: February 2017

Singapore's government formulated the Global Schoolhouse, a policy platform based on three pillars: investing financial support with an identified group of world-class universities to establish operations in Singapore; attracting 150,000 international students by 2015 to study in both private and state-run education institutions; and remodel all levels of Singaporean education. Its knowledge economy plans require Singapore's citizens to be self-reliant, to better themselves through education and training, and if necessary to relocate themselves regionally to exploit opportunities, rather than expecting their government to take responsibility for their employment.
Measuring Institutional Quality in Argentina: The Devil Is in the Details
Authors: Reisberg Liz
Published: February 2017

More than a decade after launching a national quality assurance program, Argentina may be pursuing a worthy cause on the wrong path. The country has adopted schemes in use elsewhere without accommodating conditions that make higher education in Argentina very different. Measuring itself by the evaluation criteria applied elsewhere, Argentine universities are diverting attention and resources from improving their primary activityteaching.
The Story of Academic Ranking of World Universities
Authors: Liu Nian Cai
Published: February 2017

Conceived as a project to benchmark Chinese Universities, the Academic Ranking of World Universities ranks 1,200 institutions world wide. As international interest in rankings increases, efforts continue to improve and diversify this ranking system.
The World Bank's Perspective on African Higher Education
Authors: Teferra Damtew
Published: February 2017

In it's report "Accelerating Catch-Up: Tertiary Education in Sub-Saharan Africa", the World Bank places education at the fore of African development priorities. This represents a shift in viewpoint from higher education as luxury to higher education as necessity. While this can be seen as progress, the report still contains gaps in data and may indicate a need for increased attention to this changing sector.
A Closer Look at OECD Statistic
Authors: Charbonnier Eric
Published: February 2017

Education at a Glance is the annual result of a long collaboration between governments of OECD countries, experts, and institutions that participate in the Indicators of Education Systems program of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). This article is an respond to the article on "Taking a Closer Look at the OECD Tertiary Statistics" by Arthur Hauptman. The following topics are covered in this article: International students and enrollment ratio, indicators to interpret the results, private funding and R&D, relationship between criteria and outcomes, and strategies for investing in expanding education systems.
New Challenges in the United States
Authors: O'Neil Robert
Published: February 2017

Academic freedom in American higher education evolves in curious and often unpredictable ways. For those who teach at public or state-supported institutions, the courts play a major role in defining the scope of such freedom. For faculty at independent or private colleges and universities, whose policies are seldom subject to court review, standards are provided by organizations such as the American Association of University Professors. Some faculties at institutions of both types may also be protected by collective bargaining agreements. After a decade or so with relatively few critical tests of the rights and liberties of US scholars, the past year or two has brought academic freedom to the fore in dramatic fashion. Three current tests merit special attention: the cases of John Yoo, William Robinson, and Ward Churchill.
Burundi: Challenges and Conflicts
Authors: Finnegan Dorothy
Published: February 2017

Burundi's educational system reflects not only its colonial and war-torn past but also its precarious and meager national fiscal situation.The ethnic wars, followed by continuing tension and political power struggles, coupled reportedly with a lack of governmental vision, have inhibited the significant gains realized by Burundi after independence. Regardless of the shortcomings of the resources at the universities, administrators are actively seeking assistance to modernize their infrastructure and curricular offerings.
Canadian Strategies for Internationalization
Authors: Burnett Sally-Ann , Huisman Jeroen
Published: February 2017

The study of four comparable Canadian universities in Ontario, this article analyzed background documents from the government and the institutions, carried out site visits to the campuses of the institutions, and interviewed senior faculty and staff working in the area of internationalization. The main reasons for internationalizationparticularly international student recruitmentwere portrayed as the value of student diversity as well as revenue generation. The institutional cultures influence responses to globalization as well.
Is Greater Financial Independence Ahead for Universities?
Authors: Goodman Roger
Published: February 2017

Universities face conflicting pressures of rising demand for their services, especially during recessions. One solution would be for universities and policymakers to simply manage within the existing constraints of the system by scaling back enrollments, delaying access for underserved populations, seeking out cost efficiencies, and limiting capital investment in the hopes of improved funding environments in the future. Another possibility is for the model of funding for higher education to evolve toward a public-market-based funding mix.
Impact of the Financial Crisis on Higher Education in the United States
Authors: Geiger Roger
Published: February 2017

In the face of the economic crisis of 2008  2009, colleges and universities had to adjust to revenue shortfalls. The decline in endowments influenced especially the wealthiest institutions, which are often leading institutions. States also reduced their funding for public higher education. Enrollment patterns have opted to public, regional, and 2 year institutions. Long-term consequences are the decline of access among low-income students at selective institutions because of tuition increase while less selective institutions might compromise the quality.
Deciphering "Educational Hubs" Strategies: Rhetoric and Reality
Authors: Kinser Kevin , Lane Jason
Published: February 2017

Many governments in the Middle East and Southeast Asia have repositioned them as "education hub." Four realities of education hub strategies are described. First, institutions in education hubs are not always in close proximity. Second, there are education hubs that are primarily lead by the nongovernmental entities as sponsors though with the support of the government. Third, all education cities are designed to be education hubs, but not vice versa. Fourth, educational hubs are driven by the supply-side, rather than domestic demand.
The Asian Higher Education Century?
Authors: Altbach Philip
Published: February 2017

Though the 2009 world university rankings showed a slight increase in the number of Asian universities, it does not automatically mean the rest of the world's university is deteriorating. Though different Asian countries take different strategies for improvement, and difficult to generalize, there are still impediments for the world-class quality: hierarchical relationships, a lower degree of academic freedom, less-selective promotion systems, less-interactive teaching methods, academic corruption in some countries, a use of local language, and lower salaries for academic professions would be impediments for the world-class quality.
Private Providers of Higher Education in the UK
Authors: Fielden John
Published: February 2017

A recent research report from Universities UK has analyzed the growth of private providers of higher education in the United Kingdom and questioned whether they are a threat to the publicly funded sector. Private providers form a mixed group, and it is impossible to generalize about them. In any event the coming years are sure to see a continuing growth in private provision for both domestic and international students.
Celebrating 200 Years of Humboldt University
Authors: Litta Sebastian
Published: February 2017

The Universität zu Berlin, later renamed Humboldt Universität, was founded in 1810, and revolutionized the concept of a university to research institutions. While Humboldt is today in urgent need of reform, this university also forms the key part of the history of German higher education over the past 200 years. Humboldt University used to be the most successful university system in the world, which became a sclerotic and bureaucratic behemoth and only recently started to renew itself.
Asian University Presses in the Digital Age
Authors: Kratoska Paul
Published: February 2017

University presses in Asia and the West publish scholarly material, with limited commercial appeal, and face common problems arising from falling sales, rising costs, and the shift to electronic media for teaching materials. However, in North America a large number of presses are competing for a shrinking market, while Asia represents a growing market, especially for English-language publishing. Electronic publications have begun to appear in the region, but their effects are difficult to predict.
The Conundrums of MBA Rankings
Authors: Betti Ricardo
Published: February 2017

The MBA Rankings do not offer prospective candidates much help in making informed choices about preferred programs. The rankings are inconsistent with one another; users should understand what is being measured by each different rankings and use them only as supplemental sources. Given the extensive differences among the available rankings, readers would better spend their time analyzing the ranking criteria before making any valid inferences based on this superficial quality measurement.
International Education in Australia: A Long Way Down
Authors: Marginson Simon
Published: February 2017

Australian international education is in trouble, and the downgrade is likely to be large and long. Both demand for and the supply of Australian education are trending downwards. The main driver has been changes on the supply side, especially migration resistance in the Australian electorate. Government is reducing both the number of incoming students and of graduates who become permanent migrants. Part of Australia's share of the global student market will be absorbed by English-language competitors.
Liberal Education in the Global Perspective
Authors: Peterson Patti
Published: February 2017

Though graduate education at research universities has been emphasized since the late 19th century, liberal education for undergraduates is still alive in Western countries, including the US, and is developing in non-Western countries. In the curricular reform of non-Western countries, the understanding of the fundamental purpose of liberal arts education, preparing students with broad intellectual skills for life and transferable analytical skills for the workplace, will be necessary.
Nine Common Errors in Building a New World-Class University
Authors: Salmi Jamil
Published: February 2017

Launching a new tertiary education institution that aspires to attain the highest possible standards is a noble but extremely difficult enterprise. There are many commonly observable errors. The decision to build a world-class university must always be examined within the proper context to ensure full alignment with the national tertiary education strategy and to avoid distortions in resource-allocation patterns within the sector.
Free Higher Education in South AfricaWhy Not?
Authors: Badat Saleem
Published: February 2017

Some in South Africa has proposed providing free higher education. The implications of free higher education policies are analyzed from a South African perspective.
Monitoring Internationalization of Higher Education
Authors: Egron-Polak Eva
Published: February 2017

Monitoring internationalization through global surveys shows its increasing importance in higher education and the centrality of preparing students for a globalized world for many institutions. The pursuit of prestige, the focus on student mobility and the persistent popularity of Europe as a priority, are some of the trends that require vigilance to avoid risk of exclusion for less well-resourced institutions and regions.
The Ambiguities of Working with Third-Party Recruiters: Essential Dilemmas
Authors: Reisberg Liz , Altbach Philip
Published: February 2017

The use of agents and recruiters to enroll international students in universities in United States and other major receiving countries is growing. There are problems with this practiceincluding ethical questions. The authors advocate using other ways of informing potential international students of opportunities for study abroad.
Overseas Education in China: Changing Landscape and Policies
Authors: Jiang Kai , Ma Xueni
Published: February 2017

While China becomes a major country that sends students abroad, overseas education in China has experienced a rapid development. Overseas education brings political, cultural, educational and economic gains. There are also challenges that will require changes in policies.
English as "Lingua Franca" and the Internationalization of Academe
Authors: Rostan Michele
Published: February 2017

English has become the major language of scientific communication, and to a lesser extent, teaching worldwide. Using data from a international study of the academic profession, this article discusses some of the themes, positive and negative, of the role of "global English.
Afghanistan: On the Razor's Edge
Authors: Hayward Fred
Published: February 2017

This piece focuses on the current state of higher education in Afghanistan, plans for badly needed quality improvement, measured increased access and impediments to change. On the one hand are strong demands to improve quality and on the other pressures to increase access regardless of its impact. While there is broad university support for quality improvement, lack of government and donor support for higher education poses major obstacles to change.
Politics and Demographics in Poland
Authors: Kwiek Marek
Published: February 2017

The article discusses the impact of changing demographics on the future of private higher education in Poland in the context of ongoing higher education reforms. After two decades of massive demand-absorbing growth, Polish higher education is expected to enroll 30-40% less students in 2022 due to demographic decline already felt throughout the system. Consequences for the private sector and policy options for the state are discussed.
Internationalizing Quality Assessment in Central Asia
Authors: Merrill Martha , Yakubova Shakhnoza , Turlanbekova Zhazira
Published: February 2017

Higher education institutions in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have started internationalizing quality assessment procedures; those in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan have not. The differences concern politics (the willingness of national leadership to be transparent, internally and externally) and economics (the nation's ability to finance educational reform and to resist inappropriate "educational exports" of donor nations) more than educational quality. The plethora of processes in Kyrgyzstan reflects the priorities of donors; Kazakhstan is trying to balance national goals with Bologna standards.
Where Is Japan Heading After the Earthquake?
Authors: Suematsu Kazuko
Published: February 2017

This article discusses the impact of the catastrophic earthquake incident on the internationalization of Japanese higher education and ways to overcome the imposed challenges.
Is There a Future for Branch Campuses?
Authors: Altbach Philip
Published: February 2017

Branch campuses are a growing worldwide phenomenon. This article discusses the various elements of the branch campus movement, defines branch campuses, and analyzes some of the problems and challenges involved.
Reforming Higher Education Financing in Armenia
Authors: Hauptman Arthur M. , Barkhudaryan Levon , Balasanyan Sergey
Published: February 2017

Armenia's universities face serious financial challenges. This article focuses on how Armenia has developed new approaching to financing its universities.
"Anchoring" the World University Rankings
Authors: Bowman Nicholas , Bastedo Michael
Published: February 2017

Reputation scores are a key problem with international rankings. Our study shows that the initial Times Higher Education rankings had a disproportionate impact on people's assessment of international university reputations.
Franchising: The McDonaldization of Higher Education
Authors: Altbach Philip
Published: February 2017

Universities and other institutions increasingly allow their degrees to be offered by providers abroad. This is called franchisingin many ways similar to what McDonalds does, but in the field of higher education. There are frequently problems of low quality, inadequate supervision, and others. Key Words: McDonalization, offshore degrees, problems of quality assurance.
International Joint- and Double-Degree Programs
Authors: Obst Daniel , Kuder Matthias
Published: February 2017

In response to the recent growth of joint and double degree programs over the past two decades, the Institute of International Education and Freie Universität Berlin conducted an international survey that assessed the challenges, opportunities, motivations, and impact of developing collaborative degree programs from a global perspective.
Welcome to the National University of Germany!
Authors: Litta Sebastian
Published: February 2017

The implications of the German higher education excellence initiative are discussed in this article. Key Words: German higher education reform, excellence initiatives in Germany.
Student Participation in European Governance
Authors: Klemencic Manja
Published: February 2017

Although student participation in HE governance continues to be a value in Europe, the terms of participation are rapidly changing. The reasons lie broadly in the modernisation agenda for European universities: new public management approach in institutional governance and rising tuition fees. As a result, institutional preference for student participation is changing from decision-making function in governing towards an advisory function in quality assurance and new styles of student engagement in institutional efforts to enhance student experience and in the student centered learning. In other words, while the formal student participation in governing appears to be weakening, the informal student participation is strengthening.
Hong Kong's Academic Advantage
Authors: Altbach Philip , Postiglione Gerard
Published: February 2017

Hong Kong's top universities have achieved considerable success in the rankings and are recognized for their quality. This article examines the reasons for Hong Kong's success, and compares Hong Kong with mainland China. Among the themes discussed are good governance, internationalization, high academic salaries, and others.
Chile: The Rise and Decline of a Student Movement
Authors: Bernasconi Andres
Published: February 2017

Students in Chile have led a major student activist movement focusing on issues of tuition costs, debts, and higher education policy. This article analyzes the causes for the activism and what has happened to the movement in recent months.
Ideas of Student Mobility in Germany
Authors: Teichler Ulrich
Published: February 2017

German universities have a special approach to student mobility. No extra fees are charged and tuition is often entirely free for foreign students, whether from within the Bologna area or outside. Policies have evolved as a result of experience with the Erasmus program.
New Ways to Rank Universities
Authors: Brinbaum Robert
Published: February 2017

The popular international pastime of ranking universities may be moving into new directions.
Economic Growth and Higher Education Policies in Brazil
Authors: Schwartzman Simon
Published: February 2017

The relationship between economic growth and higher education in Brazil is discussed in this article. Although Brazil's higher education system is relatively new, it has developed rapidly. In general, however, it has not contributed directly to economic development yet despite some important counter examples.
Branch Campuses in China
Authors: Stanfield David , Wang Qi
Published: February 2017

A small number of Western institutions are attempting to create full-scale branch campuses in China, but unique requirements and environmental challenges may prevent them from reaching world-class status. Three characteristics of world-class universitiessufficient talent, adequate resources, and appropriate governanceare applied to examine the potential for full-scale branch campuses in China.
Postdocs and the Internationalization of Academic Labor
Authors: Cantwell Brendan
Published: February 2017

The postdoctorate appears to have internationalized more rapidly and to a greater extent than other categories of academic work. There are several interrelated factors that can explain this trend, which presents both challenges and opportunities.
Crisis in Dutch Universities of Applied Sciences
Authors: De Wit Hans
Published: February 2017

Universities of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands are facing severe criticism from media and politicians about their performance. The main issues are the quality of their degrees, including accusations of diploma fraud, high dropout rates and poor graduation rates. This negative perception of the current performance of Dutch universities of applied sciences should be understood in the context of reform of Dutch higher education and of the demands of the global knowledge society. In comparison with the universities of applied sciences in other countries, which earlier and more gradually have adapted to the requirements from the professional field, Dutch universities of applied sciences face a difficult time. The danger might be that the distance to the research universities and to the universities of applied sciences in other countries is increasing rather than decreasing, and this might impact negatively the still strong reputation of several of its programs. The sector cannot ignore that there is a serious quality issue, which is difficult to solve due to years of ignoring to address the changes that the knowledge economy requires.
The Rise of Post-Confucion Knowledge Economies
Authors: Marginson Simon
Published: February 2017

In East Asia and Singapore tertiary participation and scientific output are rising very rapidly, underpinned by economic growth, Confucian education values at home and the focused policies of governments determined to catch-up to North American and Western Europe. The leading research universities in China, Hong Kong SAR, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore are on course to join Japan in the front rank of the world's higher education institutions.
Chinese National University Rankings
Authors: Jin Liu , Shen Hong
Published: February 2017

National university rankings in China have traditionally played an important role in student choice, and influencing thinking about higher education. This article explores several of the main rankings and discusses methodology and related issues.
Can Young Universities Achieve World-Class Status?
Authors: Salmi Jamil
Published: February 2017

What chance does a university stand to be among the best, if it does not have hundreds of years of experience? The top 10 universities in the latest Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities ranking (2011) were all founded before 1900, and two are more than eight centuries old. As is the case with good wines, academic excellence requires a wealth of expertise, careful care, and a long maturity period.
Strategies for Meeting Demand with Fewer Resources
Authors: Hauptman Arthur M.
Published: February 2017

Virtually all countries around the world are facing the challenge of consistently meeting the rising demand for higher education. A few countries, such as Norway and Saudi Arabia, have decided and been able to devote enough public resources to meet the challenge of adequately funding growing demand. However, for most countries, the challenge remains how to do more, with fewer public resources, to maintain accessible higher education systems of high quality, in the future.
Is a World-Class University Possible in Rural Bihar?
Authors: Altbach Philip G.
Published: February 2017

The Indian and Bihar government, with the support of the East Asian Summit, is resurrecting the 6th century Nalanda University, near its original site in rural northern Bihar. Significant funds have been earmarked for the project, and planning is now under way. Impressive international linkages have already been made. The concept, of course, is wonderful—to recreate in modern garb a true cultural and intellectual treasure of ancient India. The plan for the university focuses on the humanities, social sciences, ecology, and business studies—not the usual engineering and technology emphasis. But some serious practical and conceptual questions need to be asked.
The Western Balkans: A Higher Education Problem Area
Authors: Temple Paul
Published: February 2017

The summer 2012 issue of International Higher Education (no. 68) included articles on higher education in two countries from the former Yugoslavia—Philip G. Altbach on Slovenia and Stamenka Uvalic-Trumbic on Serbia—and a review of developments in another Balkan country—Romania, by Paul Serban Agachi. The picture that emerges from these reviews is of higher education systems with undoubted strengths, struggling to overcome dysfunctional historical legacies, dating from before and after the formally communist period, but certainly strongly conditioned by it. It may be worthwhile to compare the situations reported in these countries, with those found across the countries of the fragmented region now known as the Western Balkans—Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Montenegro, as well as Serbia.
Does Higher Education Equalize Income Distribution?
Authors: Carnoy Martin
Published: February 2017

Our recent research on higher educational change in the BRIC countries suggests that greatly expanding university enrollment has little positive effect on equalizing earnings distribution. The main reason is that the payoffs for graduates have continued to rise despite many more higher education graduates entering the labor market.
Branding Universities: Trends and Strategies
Authors: Drori Gili
Published: February 2017

Branding campaigns, in which universities restyle their traditional insignia into logos, have both strategic and cultural dimensions. Strategically, rebranding is linked with the expanding efforts of universities to market their programs to prospective students and donors and leverage their reputation for such marketing. Culturally, rebranding symbolically captures the transformation of university governance from guild-like autonomy to a managed and promotional university. The essay describes the three main trends in the branding of universities and considers that strategic implications and cultural meanings of university branding.
Finally, an Internationalization Policy for Canada
Authors: Desai-Trilokekar Roopa , Jones Glen
Published: February 2017

Canada is the only country in the OECD to not have a national strategy for international education. In 2011, the Canadian federal government announced plans to develop and launch Canada's first international education strategy, including the creation of an advisory panel. The panel's 2012 report outlines a balanced strategy to increase international student recruitment while also supporting the international mobility of Canadian students. Coordination of international education policy within a highly decentralized federal system remains a core challenge. Key words: International branch campus, cross-border higher education, internationalization.
Mexico: Enrollment Competition, Accreditation, and the Public-Private Market
Authors: Casillas Juan
Published: February 2017

Accreditation is becoming a new battleground for public and private institutions in Mexico. Public and mid-profile private universities design marketing strategies based on the legitimation they get from accrediting agencies in order to lure and enroll students.
Central America: The Value of International Academic Cooperation
Authors: Svenson Nanette
Published: February 2017

This article reviews the state of scientific research and development in Central America and emphasizes the contribution of international academic cooperation. Challenges to developing scientific and technological capacity in the region include educational quality and completion rates, inadequate research funding, minimal institutionalization and language barriers. Certain collaborative cross-border university- and research institute-led initiatives are beginning to counter these obstacles and produce significant results. These programs offer hopeful models for Central America and other developing regions.
The Challenge of Sustaining Student Loan System: Colombia and Chile
Authors: Salmi Jamil
Published: February 2017

Traditional, mortgage-type student loan schemes are vulnerable by design, as illustrated by the problems faced by the Chilean and Colombian agencies in recent years. Without an income-contingent provision, times of economic crisis are bound to create difficulties, as unemployment rises and incomes stagnate. This article documents the challenges encountered in these two Latin American nations and draws a few lessons that could help strengthen existing student loan systems.
American Engineering Doctoral Enrollments
Authors: Skinner Richard
Published: February 2017

International education has deep historical roots and has spurred relationships that persist for decades. In the case of the United States and the field of engineering, American dependence since the mid-1960s on other countries' students  especially Indian ones  for enrollments and graduates of engineering doctoral programs has been, is and will likely continue to be significant. But long-term trends portend a time when the appeal of American higher education may be less than has been the case.
Strengthening Higher Education in Laos
Authors: Knight Jane
Published: February 2017

Internationalization plays a critical role in building university capacity, especially in developing countries. In the current world of higher education-with competitiveness, branding, and commercialization front and center-inter- national development cooperation is often relegated to a low priority. Status building networks with elite partners are receiving more attention and support than capacity- building initiatives with developing country institutions.
The Pursuit of International Students in a Commercialized World
Authors: Altbach Philip , Reisberg Liz
Published: February 2017

The use of agents and recruiters are increasingly common by universities to attract international students. This article focuses on some of the criticisms and problems related to agents and recruiters, and points to ways that universities and governments can best serve their own needs as well as the needs of prospective students.