The Decline of the Guru: The Academic Profession in Developing and Middle-Income Countries

by Philip G. Altbach

Book Overview

The academic profession faces new challenges everywhere. The pressures of mass higher education, accountability, fiscal constraints, distance education and the new technologies, and changing attitudes concerning academic work have combined to place unprecedented strains on the professoriate. There is no country that has avoided these challenges, although the changes vary. This book brings together some of the best analysts of the academic profession...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031229591X
• ISBN13: 9780312295912
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan
• Length: 338 Pages
• Weight: 1.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.7" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

common concerns across countries

Ever wondered what academia is like in developing countries? Altbach solicited contributions describing its status in places like China, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. In China, there is a focus on the elite universities like Peking and Tshinghua. Likewise, the Mexican account tends to focus on the main campus in the capital. The comparisons can be fascinating. There is a common concern about pressures of teaching. With inadequate funding given the class sizes. Attaining tenure is also an important issue. Some places, like China, are trying to diminish the use of tenure, to go towards a more performance based system.