Markets in Australian Higher Education. Centre for the Study of Higher Education Research Working Papers, 93.9.

Overview & Synopsis

This paper provides an overview of the development of markets in Australian higher education, with implications drawn for teaching, research, and management. It notes that while many institutions' market activities appear to be developing spontaneously, these changes are also common responses to the policy/cultural environment in which higher education institutions now find themselves. The paper's first part presents a theoretical description of the different markets in higher education and some of their characteristics. The argument draws on Hirsch's concept of education as a positional good. Using this framework, the second section summarizes the development of markets during the last decade in Australian higher education and analyzes the effects of those government policies which constitute part of the conditions underlying market development. Areas covered include the emergence of tuition fees and other user charges, overseas marketing, postgraduate education, and commercial research and consultancy. The third section discusses possible future directions. Contains 40 references. (Author/GLR)