It is a pleasure to share with you the news that the Special Issue from the CHER 2023 Conference has been published in the European Journal of Higher Education.

This Special Issue publishes a selection of articles presented at the CHER 35th Annual Conference, hosted by the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU), and it is edited by Barbara Sporn and Ana Godonoga. European Journal of Higher Education, Volume 14, Issue sup1, October 2024 is now available online on Taylor & Francis Online.  

Abstract of the Introduction by the Editors, Barbara Sporn and Ana Godonoga:

 Higher education institutions (HEIs) can be considered both objects and subjects of societal change. They are impacted by transformations in society, including technological advancement, climate change, demographic shifts, and geopolitical tensions, but they are also in a position to create a positive impact on society. This requires HEIs to adapt to changing external contexts, which has implications for how education and research activities are designed and implemented, and how organisational structures and practices are reconfigured to strengthen linkages between universities and society. How higher education adapts to multiple and often conflicting demands and how through adaptation, HEIs can become more active change agents in society were of central interest to the 2023 CHER (Consortium of Higher Education Researchers) Conference and this special issue. The seven contributions presented herein provide a contemporary account on adaptation and impact in European higher education drawing on diverse theoretical perspectives, empirical data, and geographical contexts.

We would like to invite you to the upcoming public lecture organised by the Institute for Higher Education Management.

Title: This Time is Different? AI’s impact on Graduates’ Labour Market and its implications for Higher Education

Date: Thursday, November 21, 2024 at 4pm CET

Speaker: Pedro Nuno Teixeira, Full Professor of Economics at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Porto

Location: WU Vienna University of Economics and Business, Institute for Higher Education

Management, Building D5, 6th Floor, Room D5.6.029 (http://campus.wu.ac.at/)

The event location has barrier free access.

For those who cannot attend in person, can join us online via MS Teams livestream.

Please express your interest by registering at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract:

In recent years we have seen a surge of interest about the potential impacts of AI in the labour market, especially given the striking developments in generative AI that have challenged dominant perceptions about how much this will affect graduates position in the labour market. This debate has been framed by past experiences with automation and technological progress that tended to favour those with more education, qualifications, and experience. However, recent preliminary analyses suggest that this time may be different and that AI’s impact in the labour market for graduates (both recent and more experienced) may not be negligible. This will pose major challenges to higher education. In this session we will analyse existing evidence about the impact of AI in graduates’ labour market and reflect about the challenges and opportunities faced by higher education if those expectations materialize.

About the speaker

Pedro Nuno Teixeira is Full Professor of Economics at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Porto and a former Director of CIPES – Centre of Research in Higher Education Policies (2009-2022). His areas of specialization are the economics of education and the history of economic thought.

He has published in a broad range of scientific journals in his areas of interest and has authored or edited several volumes for Oxford UP, Springer, Kluwer, Palgrave, Routledge, Edward Elgar, Brill, and Sense. He is the editor of Human Capital: Critical Concepts in Economics, 4 vols. (Routledge, 2014) and Editor-in-Chief of The International Encyclopaedia of Higher Education, 3 vols. (Springer, 2020). He has been a member of the Editorial Board of Higher Education, the European Journal of Higher Education, Higher Education Policy, and the Journal of Research in Higher Education. He was a member of the Board of Governors (2007-2022) and Secretary General (2013-2022) of the Consortium of Higher Education Researchers (CHER). Since 2003 he has been a Research Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), and since 2005 a Fellow of the Program for Research on Private Higher Education (PROPHE). He has also served on the evaluation panels for the European University Association (EUA) and the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA). He has been a national expert for DG Education and a member of the EU Network of Experts on the Economics of Education. He is a member of Academia Europaea since 2021.

He has served as a special adviser to the President of Portugal on Higher Education and Science (2016-2021) and on Higher Education and Economic Affairs (2021-2022). He was Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at U.Porto (2014-2018) and a member of Portugal’s National Council of Education (2014-2018). Between March 2022 and April 2024, he was the Secretary of State for Higher Education in the Portuguese Government.

On October 30, 2024, we would like to invite you to join the CHELPS Global Webinar Series for a talk with Prof Keith D. Walker (University of Saskatchewan) and Prof Benjamin Kutsuyruba (Queen's University) sharing their insights on higher education policies and practices in addressing the challenges of mental health and human flourishing.

Drawing on the initiatives, practices, and structures that provide a positive outlook on individual and organisational flourishing in higher learning, the presenters will share key lessons from efforts to promote positive emotional and social nurturing through student resilience and leadership, supervisory relationships, appreciative mentoring, student thriving, issues of mental and physical health, faculty and leader wellbeing, development of wellbeing interventions and health promotion frameworks, and international student wellbeing.

Please register by using this Zoom link: https://eduhk.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAudO6tpzwoG9eaKGGsVs0D_ksxjlC02Faf.

About Presenters:

Keith D. Walker is a Professor in the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. He has consulted with senior educational leaders, development bank leaders, and public sector executives worldwide. For over 35 years, Professor Walker has taught educational law and professionalism, organizational theory/behaviour, policy-making, school improvement and renewal, political, ethical and jurisprudential philosophy, case-based leadership and ethics courses. Keith is currently a Provincial Cabinet-appointed member of the Saskatchewan Higher Education Quality Assurance Board.

Benjamin Kutsyuruba is a Professor of Educational Leadership, Policy, and School Law in the Faculty of Education at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Benjamin has worked as a teacher, researcher, manager, and professor in the field of education in Ukraine and Canada. His research interests include educational leadership and policymaking; teacher development, induction, and mentorship; wellbeing and flourishing; school climate and safety; trust, moral agency, and ethics, among others.

Georg Krücken contributed pioneering research in higher education, science studies, and organizational theory, shaping the academic understanding of university and science systems worldwide. He and his team at INCHER-Kassel hosted the 2019 conference of the Consortium of Higher Education Researchers (CHER), of which he was a member of the Board of Governors, generously providing advice and guidance to later convenors, even as he fell ill. Born on 21 September 1962, in Bad Honnef, Germany, he died of cancer on 7 October 2024, in Hanover, Germany, leaving an enduring legacy of scholarly excellence. 

Georg’s academic journey began at Bielefeld University, where he completed his Diplom in sociology in 1989, based on studies in philosophy, political science, and sociology at Bielefeld and Bologna. He went on to earn his Dr. rer. soc. from Bielefeld in 1996 and in 2004 completed his Habilitation in sociology there. After various roles in Bielefeld, he was Professor at the German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer (Deutsche Universität für Verwaltungswissenschaften), Germany (2006—2011). In 2011, Georg was called to Kassel University, Germany, to the Chair in Higher Education Research—and to be Managing Director of the International Centre for Higher Education Research (INCHER-Kassel), a key university-based center higher education research in Europe (and the birthplace of CHER). In his leadership of INCHER-Kassel, Georg sustained this international center as a hub for innovative research, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration, and bringing together scholars from around the world to examine crucial issues in higher education, including governance, internationalization, and organizational transformation.

Georg’s research spanned a diverse array of topics within the discipline of sociology and the multidisciplinary field of higher education. In particular, his intellectual pursuits were rooted in the exploration and expansion of neo-institutionalism, particularly how universities and other organizations adopt global models while and economic rationality, as well as the challenges and opportunities presented by new public management reforms. His work also addresses the complexities of quality assurance and accreditation in higher education, the diffusion of scientific knowledge, and the societal implications of technological and ecological risks. These insights have significantly enhanced the understanding of how higher education institutions and organizations evolve in the face of global forces, shaping both theoretical and empirical research on the subject.

His scholarly work and influence extended globally, earning him recognition as a thought leader in both European and international academic circles. His impact extended through diverse international engagements and deep personal connections with many leading scholars of multiple generations. Research and teaching stays at Stanford University (1999-2001, 2011, 2023–24) and Sciences Po Paris (2005, 2016), countless international research collaborations, numerous memberships on editorial and other boards, in academies, and as the founder of research networks are testament to his organizational abilities and personal generosity. For decades, he was Spokersperson of the key research network on Neo-Institutionalism in the German-speaking world that he co-founded. Georg also played a significant role in institutionalizing higher education research in Germany as Chair of the Gesellschaft für Hochschulforschung (GfHf) (Society for Higher Education Research). All these roles underscore his steadfast commitment to advancing the field’s institutionalization. From 2021 to 2024, he was the Spokesperson of the DFG Research Group on “Multiple Competition in Higher Education”. Through his leadership, Krücken championed the importance of higher education research as a vital multidisciplinary field, creating lasting frameworks for future scholarship in the area. His highly-cited work provides important insights into how universities and other organizations adapt to global pressures, maintaining their distinctiveness while adopting shared models of operation.

Georg Krücken’s passing is a profound loss to all who new him, to the academic community and in particular to INCHER-Kassel and the networks he coordinated, including CHER. Yet his legacy will endure through the research he conducted and inspired, through the scholars he mentored, and the academic organizations he shaped. His work resonates, offering valuable insights into the evolving dynamics of higher education in a globalized world. His dedication and his research agenda-setting has left a lasting imprint on the field and on so many of us who counted him as colleague and friend.