call for papers: Access to higher education in the 21st century – policies and outcomes.

call for papers: Access to higher education in the 21st century – policies and outcomes. October 19-20, 2023, Bucharest, Abstract submission: June 20, 2023. Details: https://tinyurl.com/3uz5cek6 . Enlarging the access to higher education is both a global trend and a requirement of public policies in many countries. While there is an obvious relationship between this trend and the shift towards a knowledge-based society, significant differences persist across countries and inside societies. The global higher education gross enrollment ratio (GER) has doubled in the last two decades and converges to about 40%; in some parts of the world, it is significantly below this global average, in others, it exceeds it, as in North America where it is above 70% already since 2010. Such differences generate different challenges for various stakeholders and policymakers. While in developed economies, demographic constraints impact higher education institutions, enlarging tertiary education access is directly linked to economic and social modernization in other parts of the world. Transnational cooperation helps alleviate some of the existing imbalances while enhancing the quality and outcomes of higher education. The formidable challenge of the COVID19 pandemic has forced universities to adjust to virtual teaching and learning. It is still open, which adjustments will persist and which will be abandoned. All these evolutions raise several academic questions and practical challenges for universities and various authorities governing the higher education systems. How does the massification of higher education change the prospects for would-be graduates and/or for those who do not attend higher education programs? Despite the well-ascertained benefits of higher education in the long term, is it still a factor fostering upward social mobility? In what measure are the higher education systems equitable? How did the higher education institutions adapt their mission while unprecedented changes occurred in the labor market? Do universities adapt to provide skill updates or professional conversion programs through adult education in the context of lifelong learning? What is the relationship between enlarging access to higher education and the sustainability of democratic societies in the 21st century? This list of questions & challenges is far from complete. At the same time, it is evident that policies regulating access to higher education in the 21st century must consider national, regional, and global phenomena. The tasks ahead are formidable. Taking stock of various experiences and reflecting on them can help us tackle these challenges. Details: https://tinyurl.com/3uz5cek6