About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherPenguin Books, The Limited

ISBN-101846144825

ISBN-139781846144820

eBay Product ID (ePID)237609786

Product Key Features

Number of Pages240 Pages

LanguageEnglish

Publication NameWhat Are Universities For?

SubjectHigher, Essays, Philosophy, Theory & Social Aspects

Publication Year2012

TypeTextbook

Subject AreaEducation, Literary Collections

AuthorStefan Collini

FormatTrade Paperback

Dimensions

Item Height0.6 in

Item Weight6.4 Oz

Item Length7.8 in

Item Width5.1 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceTrade

Dewey Edition23

Dewey Decimal378.001

SynopsisAcross the world, universities are more numerous than they have ever been, yet at the same time there is unprecedented confusion about their purpose and scepticism about their value. What Are Universities For? offers a spirited and compelling argument for completely rethinking the way we see our universities, and why we need them. Stefan Collini challenges the common claim that universities need to show that they help to make money in order to justify getting more money. Instead, he argues that we must reflect on the different types of institution and the distinctive roles they play. In particular we must recognize that attempting to extend human understanding, which is at the heart of disciplined intellectual enquiry, can never be wholly harnessed to immediate social purposes - particularly in the case of the humanities, which both attract and puzzle many people and are therefore the most difficult subjects to justify. At a time when the future of higher education lies in the balance, What Are Universities For? offers all of us a better, deeper and more enlightened understanding of why universities matter, to everyone., Across the world, we have more universities than ever yet are also increasingly sceptical about their value. What Are Universities For? presents a spirited, compelling argument for rethinking the way we see these institutions, and why we need them. Stefan Collini challenges the idea that universities must show their contribution to economic growth; instead, he argues, we must recognize the inherent worth of intellectual enquiry, and the complexity of harnessing this to immediate financial goals - particularly in the case of the humanities, which can seem the most difficult subjects to justify but may be among the most valuable. Collini's critiques of the higher education policies of successive governments are devastating but constructive. At a time when the future of higher education lies in the balance, What Are Universities For? offers us a deeper, more persuasiveunderstanding of why universities matter - to everyone. In recent years, Stefan Collini has become one of the most important critical voices in debates about universities and their future. He is Professor of Intellectual History and English Literature at Cambridge University.

LC Classification NumberLB2322.2