Nearly 24 years ago, in November 1979, 26 scholars and administrators, from 12 countries, met in the Sorbonne in Paris at the "First European AIR Forum", to discuss "Institutional Research in North America and Europe". Most of the European participants had not heard of `institutional research', but discovered that what some of them had been engaged in for most of their careers was this very topic!

Over the intervening period, 26 has grown to over 400 participants in the Annual Forum, a separate European Association (EAIR) has been established, and the Association's influential journal, Tertiary Education And Management, is published quarterly and is now in its 9th year.

This book addresses the interface between research, policy and practice in the fields of Higher Education Management and Institutional Research. It provides an overview of the current state of research and best managerial practice in the field of HE Management, so vital to the well-being of higher education, and currently at a crucial stage of evolution in so many countries of Europe and the rest of the world.

Editorial Advisory Board:

Jeroen Huisman, CHEPS, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands;

Barbara Kehm, HOF Wittenberg, University of Halle, Germany;

Barbara Sporn, Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, Vienna, Austria;

Bjørn Stensaker, NIFU, Oslo, Norway;

Ulrich Teichler, University of Kassel, Germany