XVII International Conference on Higher Education (ICHE)

Economics and Stratification of Higher Education
How do universities’ funding and economic models shape institutional inequality within national higher education systems? How are university strategies changing amid intensified competition for students and ongoing governance reforms in higher education? What resource allocation and redistribution mechanisms can mitigate the adverse effects of institutional inequality?

The Labour Market and Higher Education: Heterogeneity of Effects
How can equitable labor market returns to higher education be ensured in an increasingly stratified landscape? How can students’ educational strategies help mitigate inequality in the transition to the labor market? How can universities adapt their curricula to better align with employers’ needs?

Fundamental and Applied Knowledge in a Differentiated Higher Education System
How do fundamental and applied research position one another across universities with differing missions and resource profiles? What educational strategies enable the integration of theoretical knowledge and practical skills within curricula for diverse groups of students? How can a sustainable balance between basic and applied research be achieved in contexts marked by unequal access to funding, infrastructure, and academic talent?

Student Well-Being in Academic and Social Diversity
How can universities promote student well-being while ensuring equal opportunities for students from diverse social backgrounds? Which forms of student support are most effective for an increasingly heterogeneous student body? How does student well-being vary across institutions that differ in mission, resource profiles, and levels of selectivity? What effects do institutional environment and organizational culture have on student well-being?

Big Data and Analytics for Measuring Heterogeneity
To what extent do analytics and performance metrics capture institutional heterogeneity, and to what extent do they oversimplify it? What emerging data-analytic approaches can better measure differentiation within higher education systems? How can big data be leveraged to reduce inequality and enhance inclusivity in higher education?

Academic Careers: Diversity of Trajectories
How does institutional context shape academic careers and opportunities for doctoral students, faculty members, and researchers? How do differences in resources, institutional status, and governance practices influence academic mobility and career sustainability? What forms of inequality exist within academic work, and through what mechanisms are they reproduced?

Extracurricular Activities in the Context of Competing University Missions
How do extracurricular activities reflect universities’ missions and strategic priorities? How are differences in access to extracurricular opportunities linked to the heterogeneity of the student body? How do universities balance the educational, social, and reputational effects of extracurricular engagement?

Open track 
We also welcome submissions addressing other aspects of higher education that explore its increasingly differentiated landscape. This track provides an opportunity to examine research focused on competing ideas and institutional logics within higher education systems, the heterogeneity of student populations, trajectories in academic careers, and the redefinition of the modern university’s mission from the perspectives of leadership, academic staff, and students.