Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies

Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies
Name	Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies
Established	1988
Type	Research centre
City	Enschede
Country	Netherlands
Parent	University of Twente

Contents

Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies

The Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies (abbreviated CHER-style in comparative literature) is a research centre affiliated with the University of Twente focusing on policymaking, governance and reform in tertiary institutions across Europe and beyond. It engages scholars and practitioners from institutions such as University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Harvard University, Stanford University, and University of Toronto to study regulation, funding and institutional strategy. The centre’s work intersects with major initiatives and stakeholders including the European Commission, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Bank, the Council of Europe and national ministries such as the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

History

The centre’s mission emphasizes evidence-based analysis of governance, accountability and quality assurance in higher learning institutions such as Oxford University Press-affiliated studies and comparative projects aligned with frameworks from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and European Commission policy units. Research streams include funding models examined alongside case studies from United Kingdom, United States, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Turkey, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Themes cover performance-based allocation tied to evaluations by bodies like Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, accreditation episodes similar to those overseen by Flanders' Accreditation Organization, and strategic behaviors mirrored in institutions such as University of California, University of Michigan, Columbia University, Yale University, Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, University College London, King's College London, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University, and University of Edinburgh. Cross-cutting topics interface with labor market analyses connected to European Central Bank economic studies, migration patterns considered by International Organization for Migration, and innovation policies referenced against the European Research Council.

The centre offers postgraduate supervision linked to doctoral programs at University of Twente, joint degrees with partners such as Erasmus University Rotterdam, Radboud University Nijmegen, Maastricht University, Tilburg University, and visiting scholar placements including fellows from Veterinary University of Vienna and Zurich University of Applied Sciences. Training activities include policy workshops co-hosted with European Commission Directorate-General for Education and Culture, summer schools similar to those run by Hertie School, and executive short courses taught alongside faculty from INSEAD, Bocconi University, IE University, HEC Paris, SDA Bocconi School of Management, Rotterdam School of Management and Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. Alumni hold positions at institutions such as Ministry of Education and Research (Norway), Finnish National Agency for Education, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Karolinska Institutet, University of Helsinki, and policy roles in multilateral agencies like UNESCO and the World Bank.

The centre operates within the administrative framework of the University of Twente and is overseen by an advisory board including representatives from entities like the European University Association, Association of Commonwealth Universities, League of European Research Universities, Universities UK, American Council on Education, and national funding councils such as UK Research and Innovation and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. Leadership comprises a director, an academic steering committee with faculty appointments drawn from departments comparable to Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social sciences, and administrative staff aligned with the university’s central services. Governance practices reference accountability mechanisms resembling those in the Higher Education Funding Council for England and performance frameworks used by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and Swiss National Science Foundation.

Work produced by the centre has influenced policy dialogues in arenas such as the European Commission policy cycles, national reform agendas in Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, and Sweden, and contributed to major assessment exercises akin to the Research Excellence Framework. Scholarly outputs appear in journals and venues associated with publishers like Springer, Routledge, Taylor & Francis, Oxford University Press, and research programs funded by bodies including the European Research Council, Horizon 2020, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, and national research councils such as NWO and DFG. The centre’s convening power shapes debates involving ministers and stakeholders from entities like European Commission, Council of the European Union, OECD, and international associations including UNESCO and World Bank Group, affecting accreditation practices, funding formulas, internationalization strategies, and institutional governance reforms across continents.