| This thesis comprises four chapters. Chapter one conceptualizes the university as a regional, national and international institution. The evolution of its roles in teaching research and the provision of community services is briefly examined. Chapter two explores the Canadian education system, encompassing economic, social, quality and public policy perspectives. Chapter three examines key aspects of the Romanian higher education system. This chapter contrasts past and present issues. The concluding chapter identifies a number of future trends that appear in progress and some of the challenges they imply for higher education in the future.; Many issues of concern to Canadian educators were found to be basically different from those in Romanian higher education. Canadians are substantially concerned about the financial viability of university systems designed around models that long predated the explosion in information technology and were considerably insulated from the forces of international competition. Romanians are largely pre-occupied with solving structural and attitudinal problems that resulted from 45 years of communist ideology and a transition towards democracy. Yet in both Canadian and Romanian systems, an increasing demand was noted for those involved in higher education (educators and administrators) to be more accountable and to make their areas more transparent to their constituents. Both systems are encountering questions of how best to relate to the private sector and pressure from commercialism. The tensions between calls for immediate relevance and basic research are widely apparent. |
