Reconciling efficiency with excellence and fairness proposals for policy and practice

The question-How can nations reconcile the pursuit of efficiency with excellence and fairness?-should be a central concern in policy discourses on higher education within nations. The chapters in this volume illustrate that: 1) national engagement in global competition has undermined the traditional goals of excellence and fairness in pursuit of efficient (defined as low costs for taxpayers) public higher education; and 2) there have been bold efforts to reform higher education systems across nations, although patterns of change are not uniform. The outcomes of reforms have sometimes not corresponded with intent in part because of the dominance of the neoliberal efficiency rationale.