Science and politics all over the world are generating new ideas and models for the functions and structures of the higher education sector and its institutions. These are increasingly exposed to pressures of change. The contributions compiled in this volume identify the most influential models and investigate the context of their origin, their dissemination mechanisms and chances to establish themselves, as well as the resulting consequences for the universities.

Georg Krcken, Ph.D., Department of Sociology and Institute for Science Research (Institut fr Wissenschaftsforschung, IWT), Bielefeld University, has a research focus on the higher education sector, science research, and the sociology of organizations. Christian Castor is the former coordinator of the graduate college "Wissensgesellschaft," IWT, Bielefeld University. Anna Kosmtzky and Marc Torka are both affiliated with the graduate college "Wissensgesellschaft," IWT, Bielefeld University.