The Global Future of Higher Education and the Academic Profession

The Global Future of Higher Education and the Academic Profession focuses on the all-important emerging BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) nations by analyzing the academic profession and particularly salaries and contracts. The professoriate is key to the success of any academic system, and this is the first book - now in paperback - to carefully analyze academic systems and the academic profession. The academic profession must be adequately paid, and appointments to academic jobs must be based on merit and provide an effective career path for the 'best and brightest' to be attracted to the profession. The BRICs show a variety of approaches to academic careers-and none provide globally competitive salaries. China and Russia, in particular, pay academics poorly. Using purchasing power parity, this book is able to accurately compare the actual purchasing power of the academic profession. The book also analyzes how professors are appointed and promoted. While the BRICs may be emerging global economic powers, their academic systems still face significant challenges.

Philip G. Altbach is J. Donald Monan, S. J. University Professor and Director of the Center for International Higher Education at Boston College, USA. He has been distinguished scholar leader of the Fulbright New Century Scholars Program. He is co-author of Trends in Higher Education: Tracking an Academic Revolution and Academic Inbreeding and Mobilities in Higher Education: Global Perspectives (Palgrave). Gregory Androushchak is Advisor to the Rector at the National Research University, Higher School of Economics, Russia. Yaroslav Kuzminov is Rector at the National Research University, Higher School of Economics, Russia. Maria Yudkevich is Vice Rector at the National Research University, Higher School of Economics, Russia. Liz Reisberg is President of Reisberg & Associates, USA.

"Policymakers and ... those interested in global issues in higher education, including scholars in international and comparative higher education, will find a wealth of interesting facts and comparisons in this volume." - Higher Education