Towards an Economy of Higher Education

This paper draws a distinction between ways thinking and acting, and hence of policy and practice in higher education, in terms of different kinds of economy: economies of exchange and economies of excess. Crucial features of economies of exchange are outlined and their presence in prevailing conceptions of teaching and learning is illustrated. These are contrasted with other possible forms of practice, which in turn bring to light the nature of an economy of excess. In more philosophical terms, and to expand on the picture, economies of excess are elaborated with reference, first, to the understanding of alterity in the work of Emmanuel Levinas and, second, to the idea of Dionysian intensity that is to be found in Nietzsche. In the light of critical comment on some current directions in policy and practice, the implications of these ways of thinking for the administrator, the teacher and the student in higher education are explored

Bureaucratization in Public Research Institutions

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the nature of bureaucratization within public research bodies and its relationship to scientific performance, focusing on an Italian case-study. The main finding is that the bureaucratization of the research sector has two dimensions: public research labs have academic bureaucratization since researchers spend an increasing part of their time in administrative matters (i.e., preparing grant applications, managing grants/projects, and so on); whereas universities mainly have administrative bureaucratization generated by the increase over time of administrative staff in comparison with researchers and faculty. In addition, I show that research units with higher bureaucratization have lower scientific performance

Nanotechnology, governance, and public deliberation: What role for the Social Sciences?

In this article we argue that nanotechnology represents an extraordinary opportunity to build in a robust role for the social sciences in a technology that remains at an early, and hence undetermined, stage of development. We examine policy dynamics in both the United States and United Kingdom aimed at both opening up, and closing down, the role of the social sciences in nanotechnologies. We then set out a prospective agenda for the social sciences and its potential in the future shaping of nanotechnology research and innovation processes. The emergent, undetermined nature of nanotechnologies calls for an open, experimental, and interdisciplinary model of social science research

Employment regulation Striking a balance

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:m02/25676 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Better Regulation Task Force Review of fit person criteria; a review of the criteria used to judge people's suitability for certain occupations

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:f99/2325 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Principles of good regulation

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:GPE/3644 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Housing benefit A case study of lone parents

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:m01/33149 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Protecting vulnerable people

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:m00/38828 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Access to government funding for the voluntary sector

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:GPE/3775 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo