«Perhaps never before has the need to argue the case for higher education to be regarded as a public good been more apparent. But the public good can be a contested concept. The great virtue of this book is that it describes itself as a ‘conversation’ about the public good and it brings together distinguished contributors who offer contrasting sets of views on the subject. This is a book for our times and should be read by anyone interested in the question what universities are for or why their function is not just to provide higher education as a marketable commodity.» (Michael Shattock, Visiting Professor, Centre for Higher Education Studies, Institute of Education; Author, ‘Making Policy in British Higher Education 1945-2011’)«The extent to which higher education is a private or a public good goes to the heart of what it means to be a university. It is both a philosophical and very practical matter. The challenges in interpreting the responsibilities and opportunities afforded by the constantly shifting nature of the private-public dynamic is reflected in this excellent and thought-provoking collection of papers presented by a group of leading thinkers and policy analysts. The book provides important new insights into the way this key issue is understood in an age characterized by a fuzzying divide between ‘private’ and ‘public’ interest. ‘Higher Education as a Public Good’ will help to inform and revitalize debate about the purposes and multiple identities of higher education.» (Bruce Macfarlane, Professor of Higher Education, University of Southampton)
