The merger is broadly understood as a fusion of two or more units into one. The merger in higher education has received much attention by policy-makers as well as individual institutions in many countries as a means to bring higher education reforms. The merger of higher education institutions is a visible phenomenon in the recent past, but each merger provides a distinctive instance of major strategic change. Besides this, each merger also shows a distinct set of circumstances, actors, and characteristics. The aims of the mergers have been varied across the nations that include a reduction in fragmentation of institutions, economies of scale, enhanced efficiency, enhanced quality etc. Along with disapproval, a great amount of literature surrounding the benefits of the merger has emerged over the period of time. In spite of ample literature on mergers of higher education institutions, there does not appear to be a clear set of financial, efficiency or quality parameters to assess the success. The majority of the discussions have been narratives. In the available literature, the mergers have been classified based on their participants, stakeholders, nature, the strategy that drives them, their motivation, and/or the resultant degree of absorption. This book discusses the merger experiences and case study of different countries in terms of policies and practices. Each country chapter in the above context narrates that in planning the mergers, what have been the philosophical, economic, political, legal and cultural implications? How the factors such as institutional history, geographical distance, provincial tradition, state regulations, the presence of collective bargaining, and pertinent financial matters shaped the process as well as the outcome of the mergers? The idea of merger and its implementation (including process) at both government and institutional level have been discussed. The outcome assessment also forms the part of the discussion.

This book addresses the critical knowledge gaps of mergers involving higher education institutions. It is based on a comparative research project (spring 2013-spring 2015) investigating the phenomena of mergers involving higher education institutions across the Nordic countries – Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark. The study involved close to 30 scholars from the region, and aimed at shedding critical light on, and providing novel contributions around, the following key aspects: Conceptual and theoretical approaches – strengths and limitations - towards the study of the phenomena of mergers in higher education; Historical developments, leading to significant structural changes in the domestic higher education landscape, and, in turn, how mergers have been used as a policy/institutional mechanism to foster adaptation to a new external environment at the local, national, regional and international levels; The complex dynamics inherent to merger processes by undertaking an in-depth investigation of a series of selected case studies, with a particular focus on the “black-box” associated with the implementation process; The implications of the findings as regards future policy and strategic endeavours, theory development and future research agenda.

The growth in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity around the world masks a high rate of failure. M&A can provide companies with many benefits, but in the optimism and excitement of the deal many of the challenges are often overlooked. This comprehensive collection, bringing together an international team of contributors, moves beyond the theory to focus on the practical elements of mergers and acquisitions. This hands-on, step-by-step volume provides strategies, frameworks, guidelines, and ample examples for managing and optimizing M&A performance, including: ways to analyze different types of synergy; understanding and analyzing cultural difference along corporate and national cultural dimensions, using measurement tools; using negotiation, due diligence, and planning to analyze the above factors; making use of this data during negotiation, screening, planning, agreement, and when deciding on post-merger integration approaches. Students, researchers, and managers will find this text a vital resource when it comes to understanding this key facet of the international business world.

In spite of the increasing attention attributed to the rise in prominence of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries, few studies have looked at the ways in which broader social expectations with respect to the role of higher education across the BRICS have changed, or not, in recent years. Our point of departure is that, contrary to the conventional wisdom focusing on functionalistic perspectives, higher education systems are not just designed by governments to fulfill certain functions, but have a tendency for evolving in a rather unpredictable fashion as a result of the complex interplay between a number of internal and external factors. In reality, national higher education systems develop and change according to a complex process that encompasses the expectations of governmental agencies, markets, the aspirations of the population for the benefits of education, the specific institutional traditions and cultures of higher education institutions, and, increasingly so, the interests and strategies of the private firms entering and offering services in the higher education market. This basically means that it is of outmost importance to move away from conceiving of "universities" or "higher education" as single, monolithic actors or sector. One way of doing this is by investigating a selected number of distinct, but nonetheless interrelated factors or drivers, which, taken together, help determine the nature and scope of the social compact between higher education (its core actors and institutions) and society at large (government, industry, local communities, professional associations).

"Diversity and excellence in Higher Education seem to be conflicting concepts. Nevertheless, they are dynamic and closely intertwined -- indeed they may even require each other. The book brings together insights from ten different countries to analyse these multi-facetted phenomena and discuss how they may be reconciled within higher education. To set the overall context, it critically addresses markets and managerialism, whilst foregrounding the dangers of certain behavior that European countries are currently, though often unwisely, copying from the U.S. In a mass Higher Education system, the social basis of the student body diversifies – a fact that creates new challenges for planners and managers. The authors’ study of diversity concentrates particularly upon issues of equity and justice for students, addressing their life cycle transitions from school to higher education, degree completion, postgraduate education and employability. It also considers challenges posed by diversification at the institutional level, encompassing changes in management, leadership, governance and performance assessment. It addresses attempts to achieve excellence by selectivity, thereby contributing to the stratification of university systems; and it explores attempts to achieve excellence by merging smaller institutions to form larger entities. The book’s overall conclusion is that diversity and excellence are not necessarily enemies but relatives who cannot escape the bond between them. "

This volume delivers a cutting-edge analysis on vernacular globalization, or how local forces mediate global trends. It delves into the vital facets of the quest for global competitiveness, including: Global university rankings World-class universities University mergers Quality assurance Cross-border higher education International education hubs. The authors situate their topics within current international scholarship and demonstrate the myriad avenues through which local actors in higher education may respond to global competition. They pose critical questions about the impact of global competition in an increasingly hierarchical higher education environment, interrogating the potential for social injustice that arises. By providing an alternative perspective to the descriptive, normative approach that dominates the scholarship on global competition in higher education, the chapters in this volume open a fresh and invaluable dialogue in this arena. This is the 168th volume of the Jossey-Bass quarterly report series New Directions for Higher Education. Addressed to presidents, vice presidents, deans, and other higher education decision makers on all kinds of campuses, it provides timely information and authoritative advice about major issues and administrative problems confronting every institution.