Changing Patterns in Modes of Coordination in Higher Education

This chapter reviews changing patterns and structures in modes of co-ordination in higher education. It examines modes of co-ordination from three basic perspectives: as a planning and resource allocation mechanism; as an overall regulatory framework or set of rules; and as ideas -- that is, more than merely a set of legally defined structures and processes.The chapter begins with a brief analysis of the concept of modes of co-ordination, followed by an overview of changes in "classical" models of co-ordination (buffer/intermediary bodies, the continental model etc). The discussion then turns to a summary of the international reform agenda in higher education, leading to a more in-depth examination of how past models of co-ordination have been replaced by market relationships, concentrating on the international/global dimension.