Patterns in Higher Education Development: Toward the Year 2000

This article explores key developments that have affected academic institutions worldwide. The expansion characteristic of the post-World War II period has been particularly dramatic in the Third World. Other trends include broadened access to education, the tension between accountability and autonomy, changes and reforms triggered by societal demands on higher education, changing patterns of funding and access, and the political role of students. The essay concludes by examining issues affecting the future of higher education at the end of the twentieth century.