Financing Higher Education in the 21 Century: Lessons from abroad?

　　Jannette Cheong

　　( Former Head of International Collaboration and Development for the Higher Education Funding Council for England )

　　As pressures on state funding and higher education continue to grow, the financial sustainability of higher education becomes an increasingly crucial issue for policy makers and for those who govern and manage institutions. There are challenges for governments to ensure that increasingly autonomous institutions respond to public interest agendas and take greater responsibility for their own financial sustainability. There are challenges for institutions to manage an increasingly complex portfolio of aims and funding. This presentation will highlight some of the lessons shared from two international projects that examine some of the conditions needed to secure financial sustainability for the future from the national (policy), regional and institutional (management) perspectives, and the importance of maintaining and developing high quality teaching, learning and research. In so doing, we will reflect on the question of whether “whoever pays the piper, calls the tune?”

　　Jannette Cheong was Head of International Collaboration and Development for the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) from 1997 to 2006. The outcomes from this work helped to develop HEFCE’s strategic international interests, facilitate research into higher education (HE) issues and disseminate good practice. In particular, through the facilitation and support for international networking, the development of key partnerships with national and international organisations (such as the OECD), and the range of strategic policy and practice interests, projects and initiatives covered. These included policy fora between policy makers and institutional leaders on topics such as HE reform, funding, quality, management, industry links, e-learning, and the internationalisation of HE.

　　Previously, Jannette was Associate Director for Quality Assessment (HEFCE), a government inspector (HMI), an academic and practicing designer. In addition, Jannette taught English in China between 1975-77. Her other interests include: hill walking, painting, poetry and song writing.

　　时间：2007年10月22日（周一）下午2：00－4：00

　　地点：北京大学老化学楼107（教育经济研究所会议室）