Variable tuition fees and widening participation: the marketing of English institutions through access agreements

This paper argues that the introduction of access agreements following the establishment of the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) has led to changes in the way that higher education institutions (HEIs) position themselves in the marketplace in relation to widening participation. However, the nature of these access agreements has led to obfuscation rather than clarification from the perspective of the consumer. This paper analyses OFFA's 2008 monitoring report and a sample of 20 HEIs' original 2006 and revised or updated access agreements (2008) to draw conclusions about the impact of these agreements on the notions of 'fair access' and widening participation. The authors conclude that institutions use access agreements primarily to promote enrolment to their own programmes rather than to promote HE generally. As a consequence of this marketing focus, previous differences between pre-92 and post-92 institutions in relation to widening participation and fair access are perpetuated leading to both confusion for consumers and an inequitable distribution of bursary and other support mechanisms for the poorest applicants to HE.</p

Education as a positional good for marked-based reforms of state schooling: paper presented at the ECER 2000-conference in Edinburgh 20 - 23 September 2000

Analyses of market-based reforms of state schooling have occasionally acknowledged positional elements in parental demand, but none has fully examined their nature and implications. Contrary to the normal predictions of orthodox economic analysis, competition in positional markets can result in inefficient outcomes. Predominantly relying upon recent British experience, we examine the extent to which compulsory schooling can be viewed as a positional good and explore its implica-tions for policy. In particular, we consider whether policies targeting increases in parental choice assist a rise in the overall level of educational attainment. --schooling choice,educational markets,positional good,status competition

Education as a positional good for market-based reforms of state schooling: paper presented at the ECER 2000-Conference in Edinburgh, 20-23 September 2000

"Previous discussions of the desirability and impact of market-based reforms of state schooling while acknowledging positional elements in parental demand, have failed to fully examine their nature and implications. Contrary to the normal predictions of orthodox economic analysis, competition in positional markets can result in inefficient outcomes. Predominantly relying upon recent British experience, we examine the extent to which compulsory schooling can be viewed as positional good and explore its implications for policy. In particular we consider whether policies targeting increases in parental choice can be designed to assist a rise overall levels of educational attainment." (author's abstract

Kosovo’s biggest challenge: encouraging Kosovan migrants to move back to their home country

Emigration from Kosovo into western European countries has been a large-scale phenomenon in recent years. The money sent back to Kosovo by migrants working abroad is currently an important element of the country’s economy, but a recent study has found that the return of migrants to Kosovo could prove even more beneficial. Ardiana Gashi and Nick Adnett suggest that government policies should encourage the retention of strong ties between the migrants and Kosovo, allow for the speedy accreditation of qualifications obtained abroad, and facilitate the flow of migrants’ savings into the Kosovan economy

Did FDI Increase Wage Inequality in Transition Economies?

Purpose of this paper -The last two decades have been characterised by a rise in income and wage inequality in a wide range of countries, including European transition countries. The rise in globalisation is one major factor explaining this increasing wage inequality. International trade and FDI have increased significantly since the beginning of transition and this paper focuses on whether FDI plays an important role in explaining the pattern of wage inequality in selected transition countries. Design/methodology/approach- A cross-country empirical investigation has been conducted using two alternative measures of wage inequality: the Gini coefficient and the Theil index. Several model specifications and estimation strategies have been employed to obtain consistent estimates and to check for the robustness of the results. Findings- The results indicate that a rising share of inward FDI in GDP increased wage inequality in transition economies, though its overall effect was relatively small. Considering the long run, there is no clear evidence of a concave relationship between FDI and wage inequality, which may be a consequence of the relatively low levels of FDI in many transition countries. Practical implications -Inwards FDI has made a small contribution to increasing wage inequality in European transition economies. However, its overall beneficial effects on labour markets in these countries suggests that rather than restricting FDI governments should target increasing the supply of skilled labour. What is original/value of paper- This new empirical evidence supports the hypothesis that an increased inward FDI stock as a share of GDP increases wage inequality in transition economies, however this relationship is a complex one. Differences in average wages, wage differentials, employment shares of skilled workers and relative size of the foreign-owned sector are all likely to be important for the behaviour of wage inequality

Human capital and international competitiveness in Europe, with special reference to transition economies

This paper assesses the impact of human capital endowments on international competitiveness in Europe, with special reference to transition economies in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The analysis uses longitudinal data for 27 European economies over the period 1995-2010. In line with the orthodox theory, a positive relationship is found between the labor force’s level of educational attainment and competitiveness. While in the European Economic Area (EEA17) tertiary education is the only significant education-based determinant of the export market share, in CEECs both the shares of the workforce with secondary and tertiary education are significant with the former having a greater impact. Some evidence is found for the hypothesized impact of the quality of education

The Determinants of Return Migration: Evidence for Kosovo

Return migration represents a potentially important contributor to economic development for countries that are large exporters of labor. This paper provides an analysis of the determinants of return migration to Kosovo, a country with an especially high level of recent emigration. The findings of this investigation suggest that there is a non-linear relationship between the age of the migrant and their probability of returning. In addition, the more educated migrants and those that have acquired additional education whilst abroad are more likely to return, whereas recent migrants, those that possess permanent resident status and have their family abroad are less likely to return. As expected, the stronger the family ties of a migrant with their home country, the more likely they are to return. Finally, migrants that are expected to invest in businesses in Kosovo are more inclined to return. Together these findings suggest that return migration may be an important contributor to economic development in Kosovo and policies are outlined that could strengthen this contribution

The Determinants of Return Migration: Evidence for Kosovo

Return migration represents a potentially important contributor to economic development for countries who are large exporters of labour. This paper provides an analysis of the determinants of return migration to Kosovo, a country with an especially high level of recent emigration. The findings of this investigation suggest that there is a non-linear relationship between the age of the migrant and their probability of returning. In addition, the more educated migrants and those that have acquired additional education whilst abroad are more likely to return, whereas recent migrants, those that possess permanent resident status and have their family abroad are less likely to return. As expected, the stronger the family ties of a migrant with their home country, the more likely they are to return. Finally, migrants that are expected to invest in businesses in Kosovo are more inclined to return. Together these findings suggest that return migration may be an important contributor to economic development in Kosovo and policies are outlined that could strengthen this contribution

Bucking the Trend: Female Labor Market Participation in Kosovo

This paper adds to the limited research conducted on labor markets with low female labor force participation, providing the first multivariate analysis for Kosovo. The determinants of female labor force participation (FLFP) in Kosovo are investigated utilizing an eclectic model, comprising of individual, household, and socio-economic determinants, to analyze data from the Kosovo Labor Force Survey. Both supply and demand factors contribute to the explanation of the low FLFP in Kosovo. The results confirm that: age, marital status, education, labor market demand and the composition of the household are significant determinants of FLFP. These findings indicate the importance of taking a household level approach when analyzing labor force participation in countries with low female force participation