Policy Formation in Post-Secondary Education
: International conference, Toronto, Canada March 15-17, 2012

Similar to other institutions, universities have felt the impact of the economic turmoil rippling across the globe since 2008. While they are still perceived as engines of the emerging “knowledge economy,” post-secondary educational institutions throughout the world appear to lack the resources they require to fulfill adequately their economic, social and educational objectives. They face growing accessibility demands and shifting paradigms in government policy, and they endure increasing government oversight notwithstanding the erosion of public sector funding. How is policy being forged in this context? Do decision-makers develop policy
 differently than in the past? Are current policy decisions transformative or temporary in their impact? These questions and others were the subject of an international conference in Toronto, Canada March 15-17, 2012. Leading experts from around the world explored policy formation in turbulent times and reflected on the past, present and future of post-secondary education.

Director of HERC, Professor Maria Slowey was one six of the invited experts from Europe and presented in the session “Patterns of Policy Change:  Evidence and Challenges
”. Professor Slowey delivered a presentation entitled ‘Institutional Alliances:  Passing Policy Fad or Next Organizational Model?’. The presentations by invited experts at the conference will form the basis of major publication on the topic of policy formation in turbulent times.

The workshop was sponsored by the Faculty of Education at York University
 and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

For further details please visit the conference website.