The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated change in the higher education sector across the globe and has required huge efforts and commitments on the political, institutional and individual level. During this period higher education was considered, maybe more than ever, as an essential sector. Providing critical information and, contributing to the delivery of scientifically based solutions to help societies overcome this global crisis, universities also simultaneously maintained core educational activities to secure the academic future of the next student generation. This required a high level of innovation, adaptivity and creativity. The book is centred on three main themes linked to transformation and change in higher education: digitalisation, quality and trust. The transformative power of the pandemic has raised concerns and questions of each of them. Contributors are: Stephanie Albrecht, Tony Armstrong, Victoria Birmingham, Victor Borden, Bruno Broucker, Uwe Cantner, Helge Dauchert, Harry de Boer, Caterina Fox, Amanda French, Katharina Hoelzle, Gunnar Grepperud, Seonmi Jin, Ben Jongbloed, Alex Kendall, Cindy Konen, Rene Krempkow, Anne-Kristin Langner, Theodor Leiber, Oddlaug Marie Lindgaard, Silke Masson, Clare Milsom, Jessica Nooij, Mark O'Hara, Matt O'Leary, Pascale Stephanie Petri, Rosalind Pritchard, Christopher Stolz, Elisabeth Suzen, Sara-I. Tager, Daniel Thiemann, Lieke van Berlo, Lotte J. van Dijk, Katy Vigurs, Tilo Wendler, and Tamara Zajontz.

The world is changing at an extremely rapid pace, and with this our society, environment, economy and labour market. These multitudinous changes require innovation at different levels, not least from Higher Education which is confronted with increased demands to make its contribution and benefit to society more tangible, visible and sustainable. This book addresses such demands. It represents a rich selection of international contributions from academics, researchers, policymakers and practitioners, and a rich diversity of topics under the umbrella of sustainability. The book discusses how higher education needs to renew itself to maintain its core values while responding in a sustainable way to multiple crises, local demands and global needs, threats and opportunities. Contributors are: Iyad Abualrub, Avril Margaret Brandon, Bruno Broucker, Lejo Buning, Cynthia Cogswell, Vanessa Cui, Kurt De Wit, Frans de Vijlder, Mervi Friman, Martina Gaisch, Anne Gannon, Caroline Hetherington, Ester Hoehle, Rene Krempkow, Anne Laakso, Lotta Linko, Aleksandra Lis, Goeran Melin, Clare Milsom, Matt O'Leary, Jason Pina, Romulo Pinheiro, Ilana Pressick, Rosalind Pritchard, Victoria Rammer, Bairbre Redmond, Stephanie Reynolds, Lee Roberts, Radoslaw Rybkowski, Peter Schuur, Wafa Singh, Odd Rune Stalheim, Nathalie Turville and Nick White.

The events of the last years have shaken the world of higher education. The post-COVID-19 period has raised multiple questions in key areas, from digitalisation over quality assurance to internationalisation. This book brings together scholars, practitioners and policymakers in higher education, and discusses in a variety of topics the future of the higher education sector in a rapidly changing context: the complexities of digital education, the need or necessity for innovation or the impact of globalisation are some of the topics addressed in this book. Those topics are brought together around one central theme: how can the future of higher education be accelerated to address in a sustainable way the needs of a changing global context?

The evolving societal, political and economic landscape has led to increased demands on higher education institutions to make their contribution and benefits to society more visible, and in many cases with fewer public resources. This book contributes to the understanding of the responsibilities of Higher Education and the challenges posed to the production and circulation of knowledge. It raises questions about the role of higher education in society, its responsibility towards students and staff, and regarding its intended impact. The book brings together a range of topical papers, and a diversity of perspectives: scientific investigations of reputed scholars, critical evidence-based papers of third space professionals, and policymakers' perspectives on the daily practice and management of higher education institutions and systems. The variety of both content and contributors elevates the richness of the book and its relevance for a large audience. Contributors are: Victor M. H. Borden, Lex Borghans, Bruno Broucker, Hamish Coates, Gwilym Croucher, Lisa Davidson, Mark Engberg, Philipp Friedrich, Martina Gaisch, Solomon Gebreyohans Gebru, Ton Kallenberg, Kathi A. Ketcheson, Lu Liu, Alfredo Marra, Clare Milsom, Kenneth Moore, Roberto Moscati, Marjolein Muskens, Daniela Noemeyer, Attila Pausits, Svetlana Shenderova, Wafa Singh, Chuanyi Wang, Denyse Webbstock, Gregory Wolniak, and Jiale Yang. See inside the book.

The Bologna Declaration started the development of the European Higher Education Area. The ensuing Bologna Process has run for already 20 years now. In the meantime many higher education systems in Europe have been reformed - some more drastically than others; some quicker than others; some with more resistance than others. In the process of reform the initial (six) goals have sometimes been forgotten or sometimes been taken a step further. The context too has shifted: while the European Union in itself has expanded, the voice for exit has also been heard more frequently. Higher Education System Reform: An international comparison after Twenty Years of Bologna critically describes and analyses 12 Higher Education Systems from the perspective of four major questions: What is currently the situation with regard to the six original goals of Bologna? What was the adopted path of reform? Which were the triggering (economic, social, political) factors for the reform in each specific country? What was the rationale/discourse used during the reform? The book comparatively analyses the different systems, their paths of reforms and trajectories, and the similarities and the differences between them. At the same time it critically assesses the current situation on higher education in Europe, and hints towards a future policy agenda. Contributors are: Tommaso Agasisti, Bruno Broucker, Martina Dal Molin, Kurt De Wit, Andrew Gibson, Ellen Hazelkorn, Gergely Kovats, Liudvika Leisyte, Lisa Lucas, Antonio Magalhaes, Sude Peksen, Rosalind Pritchard, Palle Rasmussen, Anna-Lena Rose, Christine Teelken, Eva M. de la Torre, Carmen Perez-Esparrells, Jani Ursin, Amelia Veiga, Jef C. Verhoeven, Nadine Zeeman, and Rimantas Zelvys.