Diversity and Diversification of Higher Education: Trends, Challenges and Policies

Abstract

Most current discussions of diversity within higher education systems focus on comparing and contrasting universities located at different positions in the vertical rankings hierarchy. This paper innovates by identifying trends and patterns in horizontal diversification—i. e., diversity of types of study programs, educational concepts, and specializations—and ultimately reaches the conclusion that the current frenzy over rankings is causing quality to be unevenly distributed throughout higher education systems and undermining the concept of “the wisdom of the many.” It  begins by distinguishing between the various types of diversity. It then describes various educational reforms and attempts to engineer horizontal diversity across Europe. A discussion follows about the origins of ranking systems and how they took root and gained currency in Europe, where informal differences between universities had previously been seen as trivial and secondary to formal differences, and the possible damaging implications such rankings might have for the quality of education throughout the entire world. Higher education policymakers, the paper concludes, must deliberately focus on bolstering the quality of all educational institutions, not just those with the highest rankings.