Many developing countries have doubled access as well. This unique wave of expansion worldwide has added to the knowledge and skills base of society. Research Universities are the key research institutions in most countries. They are the central source for basic research, and as such have provided the underpinning of many of the innovations of modern society. To take just one field, the basic technology that went into the computer and the Internet itself had their origins in universities.
Universities are the essential sources of new knowledge in almost all fields.
They combine research with teaching in an atmosphere of free inquiry that provides the necessary conditions for productive research. Social Mobility Higher education provides unprecedented opportunities for social mobility and improvement in most societies. Bright students from poor backgrounds are able to obtain an education and improve their prospects. Everywhere, higher education increases income levels. Academe has opened up to women practically everywhere, with more women obtaining degrees, and joining the academic profession.