Higher Education

What is the Special Subject Collection 'Higher Education'?

The special subject collection 'Higher Education, Organisation of Sciences and their institutions' collects literature on these topics for all parts of Germany in the framework of the (available only in German)of the German Research Foundation (DFG) which promotes all special subject collections.

German and international literature has been collected for the special subject collection 'Higher Education' and provided for all German Federal Lands almost completely according to the Collection Profile since1st January 1998.

Until 1998, the special collection field had been cared for by the University Library Göttingen. It also now provides literature which had been acquired by 31st December 1997.

The special collection field was transferred from the University Library of Göttingen to the University Library of Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin in the course ofmrestructuring of the special collection fields in the middle of the 1990s.

Background information about the special collection field 'Higher Education'

The application of the University Library for the special collection field was based on its historic holdings which date back to the early years of the foundation of the University Library in 1832. From the very beginning, the University Library member of the framework of Academic exchanges received German university and school publications.

Following a ministerial order of the Prussian Minister of Education, a copy of every university and school publication had to be sent to the University Library. The legal regulations, which formed the background of the receipt of the university publications were later completed or replaced by exchange agreements. Thus the collection grew into the most comprehensive one for dissertations and habilitations in Germany.

The collection field of Higher Education at the University Library of the Humboldt University was also part of the plan of preferred collections in the GDR. Hence, the holdings of primary and secondary literature on Higher Education contains a rich, and in many areas complete collection of programmes, lists of human resources, university calendars, statutes, charters, regulations and other university publications.

The high number of foreign publications which were accessed through exchange programmes, (e.g. from northern Europe, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and the USA) are of outstanding importance. After the decision of the Bund-Länder Commission to adjourn the special collection fields of the GDR from 1990 on, the existing collection fields were further maintained in the scope of the available financial means. Exchange relations with universities, colleges and academic institiutions in this subject were maintained.

Which topics and subject areas have been collected?

Subject foci

Higher education in general

• contents and tasks
• theory
• philosophy

Sociology in Higher Education, mainly:

• social groups
• minorities
• ethnic groups
• gender aspects

Higher education policy

• university autonomy
• university reform; Bologna reform
• future development
• economizing universities
• governmental and party policy in higher education, higher education concepts of associations and other groups

Internationalisation and globalisation of higher education

Planning and managing higher education

• administration
• statistics
• evaluation
• quality management
• funding
• marketing
• human resources
• buildings
• facilities and equipment

History of the development of higher education and universities in general

• history of independent national universities
• history of independent international universities(a representative choice)

Institutions of higher education, namely:

• new foundations of universities
• private universities and university privatisations

• access to university
• university certificates and academic degrees
• scientific work techniques, research and examination techniques (not subject-related, in strict selection)

• Higher education didactics (without subject didactics, in strict selection)
• E-learning (virtual methods of learning and teaching, blended learning (eclectic, in relation to higher education)
• Scientific further education at universities, life-long learning
• post-university situation, graduates in their professions
• Student matters
• Student bodies
• course financing
• Social matters and leisure (councelling of students)
• student unions
• National and international infrastructure of sesearch and science
• interdisciplinary scientific bodies and academies (eclectic)
• Educational bodies (in relation to higher education)
• Planning science
• Promoting science
• Managing science
• International scientific cooperation

Regional foci

• Germany
• Western Europe
• Belgium, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain
• Scandinavia
• Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden
• Hungary
• North America
• Canada, USA
• Australia, New Zealand

With the growing importance of an academic infrastructure in threshold countries like China, India and the lands of the former Soviet Union, subject-relevant publications of those countries are purchased in a stringent choice, provided they were published in a west European language (preferably German or English).

How can I retrieve literature of the special collection field 'Higher Education'?

You may focus your search on the topic 'Higher education' with the Online Catalogue SSG Hochschulwesen.  

Higher education online

Please find the virtual specialized library of the special collection field 'Higher Education' on http://www.hochschulwesen-online.de

The addition 'beta' means that the webpages have not been completed, yet, and that they are continuously extended and developed.

Higher Education Online will bundle the various resources and sources on 'Higher Education' in one user surface and thus make them retrievable at central position.

Contact

Andrea Kullik
Subject Librarian of Higher Education

E-Mail: andrea.kullik@ub.hu-berlin.de
Telefon: +49 30 2093 - 99310