Attaining and Sustaining Mass Higher Education

IMHE General Conference 2012, "Attaining and Sustaining Mass Higher Education", 17-19 September 2012, Paris. www.oecd.org/edu/imhe/generalconference.
Call for Contributions
The biennial IMHE General Conference attracts around 500 policy-makers, institutional leaders and academic experts active in higher education. The 2012 conference will be held on 17-19 September in Paris.
Throughout the world, local, national and regional development policies emphasise the importance of higher education. There is considerable variation in the extent of participation, access and resourcing (financial and human), and different choices are being made about a wide range of issues, such as:
* selectivity
* regulation and quality assurance
* system diversity
* public/private investment
* the balance of education and research
In much of the developed world, the issue of sustaining public funding for mass higher education system is reaching a critical point, as is the issue of replacing an ageing academic population. At the same time, in many rapidly growing economies, notably in Asia, investments in research and education are growing rapidly. Even for these countries, however, as for much of the rest of the developing world, major questions loom about quality, breadth of access, and the retention of academic capital.
Higher education institutions are expected to provide education and training relevant to labour market demands, conduct research activities that will build a knowledge-based economy, as well as contribute to social cohesion, regional development and global well-being. They must also strive constantly to fulfil their multiple missions, improve the quality of the education provided, increase their efficiency and demonstrate their contribution to society. The 2012 Conference will focus on the  challenges of attaining and sustaining mass higher education, in an increasingly competitive and international context. The Conference will seek to identify longer-term trends and will include analyses of national policy, institutional case studies and research carried out within the OECD and beyond.
This call for contributions invites proposals from policy-makers, institutional leaders and managers, as well as researchers, on topics relevant to the conference. Proposals may consider issues at the international, national, institutional, or sub-institutional level.
Themes covered may include:
* The Globalisation of Higher Education
* Funding & Financing
* Quality & Accountability
* System Management & Institutional Diversity
* Exploiting Technology for Learning
* The Academic Workforce
Submitting a proposal for this Conference represents a valuable opportunity, as the chosen papers are presented to a high level audience in the prestigious setting of the OECD headquarters in Paris. The most outstanding proposals will be considered for presentations in plenary sessions. A selection of papers will also be published in the IMHE journal, which is distributed widely through the OECD’s dissemination channels.
General Information
The General Conference will comprise plenary sessions, including keynote speeches and round tables, as well as parallel sessions and a research forum. Proposals will be reviewed by the General Conference organising committee. Selected papers will be presented during plenary panel sessions, parallel group sessions or the research forum.
The Conference can accommodate up to 500 participants. Registration fees are, per person, 350€ for IMHE members and 900€ for IMHE non-members. The fee includes lunches, refreshments and all conference materials. Everyone wishing to take part in the Conference must register.
Submitting a proposal
We kindly ask that you follow the instructions carefully.
An abstract (150-250 words) with the completed online submission form should be submitted for review by the Organising Committee by 1 December 2011. Entries should be accompanied by a short biography. Abstracts and papers must be submitted in English or in French. The General Conference Organising Committee is responsible for selecting papers for presentation and for allocating them to a programme session. Authors will receive notification of acceptance of their abstracts by 15 January 2012. Completed papers must be submitted to the IMHE Secretariat (imhe@oecd.org) by 31 March 2012.

Attaining and Sustaining Mass Higher Education
Around the world, local, national and regional development policies are emphasising the importance of higher education. Yet the level of participation and access, as well as human and financial resourcing, varies widely.
Different choices are being made about a wide range of issues, such as selectivity, regulation and quality assurance, system diversity, public/private investment, and combinations of education and research. In much of the developed world, sustaining public funding for the mass higher education system and replacing an ageing academic population are reaching a critical point. While at the very same time, investments in research and education are booming in many rapidly growing economies, notably in Asia. However, even for these countries, as for much of the rest of the developing world, major questions loom about quality, accessibility and retaining academic capital.
The conference will seek to identify longer-term trends and will include analyses of national and institutional policies, case studies and the latest research from the OECD and elsewhere. The IMHE biennial General Conference is IMHE's standout event, attracting around 500 participants comprised of higher education policy makers, institutional leaders and academic experts. Notable speakers and stimulating sessions provide an opportunity for members and non-members to share their views and ideas, discuss relevant topics and forthcoming trends, as well as network.

Previous IMHE General Conferences / Conférences précédentes (French)
Visit the websites of previous Institutional Management in Higher Education (IMHE) General Conferences:
Higher Education in a World Changed Utterly: Doing More with Less. 13-15 September 2010
The Quality, Relevance and Impact of Higher Education. 8-10 September 2008
Values and Ethics: Managing Challenges and Realities in Higher Education. 11-13 September 2006
Choices and Responsibilities: Higher Education in the Knowledge Society. 13-15 September 2004
Visit the websites of all the previous conferences organised by Institutional Management in Higher Education (IMHE).