Students in changing higher education landscapes
One-day conference, University of Surrey, 14th June 2019
Keynote by Rille Raaper, Durham University: Troubling the notion of student as consumer: Fabrications, contradictions and political engagement
Across many countries of the world, higher education landscapes have changed significantly over recent years. Market mechanisms have become more prominent, and politicians have become increasingly concerned about graduates’ transitions into the labour market. In some nations, although not all, students are now expected to make a substantial contribution to the cost of their higher education and, across mainland Europe, the Bologna Process has reshaped the nature of students’ experiences considerably. This one-day conference seeks to explore understandings of students in this shifting context.
We welcome papers – focussing on the UK, mainland Europe or further afield – that cover any aspect of the topic, including (but not restricted to) the following: representations of students in policy or media; the nature of students’ lives; staff understandings of students; staff-student relationships; students as consumers; students as political actors; student mobilities; comparative studies of students; and the impact on students’ experiences of their social characteristics, discipline of study and/or institution.
We hope to include papers from all career stages and a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. It is intended that the papers will provide the basis for a proposal for a journal special issue.
Abstract Submission: Please send abstracts of up to 250 words by 15th April 2019 to Rachel Brooks at the University of Surrey: r.brooks@surrey.ac.uk There will be a £50 registration fee for attending the conference (to include lunch).