Neoliberalism, Higher Education and Research

This book addresses key developments in higher education and research policy over the past decade. The authors pay particular attention to policy changes in New Zealand following the formation of a Labour-Alliance coalition government in 1999. From 1999 to 2008, a version of ‘Third Way’ politics has been applied in the New Zealand context. A key government goal has been to advance New Zealand as a ‘knowledge society and economy’, and education at the tertiary level has been seen as crucial in achieving this. Neoliberalism, Higher Education and Research considers the relationship between neoliberalism and the Third Way, discusses international trends in knowledge capitalism, examines performance-based research funding, critiques the rhetoric of ‘quality’ and ‘relevance’ in recent higher education policy, and assesses possibilities for critical citizenship and intellectual life in the 21st century. Much can be learned from the New Zealand experience in reflecting on policy developments in other countries, and this book will be of interest to all who ponder the future of knowledge and education in a globalised world.