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Anke Hanft and Michaela Knust The present study examines and compares the structure and organisation of c- tinuing higher education in six countries: Austria, Finland, France, Germany, the UK and the USA. The focus is not just on current continuing education provisions at higher education institutions but also on the institutions themselves and their surrounding milieu. The study also attempts to move away from a purely national angle and to approach the topic from an international perspective. The conclusion is reached that when it comes to the development, establishment and professional implementation of continuing education provisions, German higher education ins- tutions lag behind the other countries in the comparison in almost all areas. The main ndings in terms of the three levels 'system', 'institution', and 'programme' are summarised below. 1 Continuing Education in the Higher Education System There are considerable divergences, both nationally and internationally, in the d- inition of the German term "wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung" ("academic c- tinuing education"). In the English-speaking world, a variety of terms such as "lifelong learning", "adult education", "continuing education", "continuing higher education", "university-level continuing education" or "continuing professional development" are often used as synonyms without any precise differentiation - and this is not perceived as a problem.
List of contents
Continuing Higher Education in a State of Flux: An International Comparison of the Role and Organisation of Continuing Higher Education.- Design of the International Comparative Study.- Comparative Overview of Study Results.- Continuing Higher Education in Germany.- Continuing Higher Education in Finland.- Continuing Higher Education in France.- Continuing Higher Education in the United Kingdom.- Continuing Higher Education in Austria.- Continuing Higher Education in the United States of America (USA).- Corporate Universities and Research Associations as Players in Continuing Higher Education.
Summary
Anke Hanft and Michaela Knust The present study examines and compares the structure and organisation of c- tinuing higher education in six countries: Austria, Finland, France, Germany, the UK and the USA. The focus is not just on current continuing education provisions at higher education institutions but also on the institutions themselves and their surrounding milieu. The study also attempts to move away from a purely national angle and to approach the topic from an international perspective. The conclusion is reached that when it comes to the development, establishment and professional implementation of continuing education provisions, German higher education ins- tutions lag behind the other countries in the comparison in almost all areas. The main ndings in terms of the three levels ‘system’, ‘institution’, and ‘programme’ are summarised below. 1 Continuing Education in the Higher Education System There are considerable divergences, both nationally and internationally, in the d- inition of the German term “wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung” (“academic c- tinuing education”). In the English-speaking world, a variety of terms such as “lifelong learning”, “adult education”, “continuing education”, “continuing higher education”, “university-level continuing education” or “continuing professional development” are often used as synonyms without any precise differentiation – and this is not perceived as a problem.
