Editors’ and authors’ biographies -- 1. The Academic Profession in Twelve European Countries – The Approach of the Comparative Study; Ulrich Teichler and Ester Ava Höhle -- 2. Academic Career Paths; Gülay Ates and Angelika Brechelmacher -- 3. Academic Work, Working Conditions and Job Satisfaction; Marek Kwiek and Dominik Antonowicz -- 4. Gender in Academia between Differences and Inequalities: Findings in Europe; Gaële Goastellec and Nicolas Pekari -- 5. The Teaching Function of the Academic Profession; Ester Ava Höhle and Ulrich Teichler -- 6. The Research Function of the Academic Profession in Europe; Jonathan Drennan, Marie Clarke, Abbey Hyde and Yurgos Politis -- 7. The Academic Profession and the Role of the Service Function; Bojana Ćulum, Nena Rončević and Jasminka Ledić -- 8. Movers and Shakers: Academics as Stakeholders - Do They Control Their Own Work?; Timo Aarrevaara and Ian R. Dobson -- 9. From Academic Self Governance to Executive University Management – Institutional Governance in the View of Academics in Europe; Elke Park -- 10. New University Governance: How the Academic Profession Perceives the Evaluation of Research and Teaching; David Campbell -- 11. The Internationalisation of Academic Markets, Careers and Profession; Gaële Goastellec and Nicolas Pekari -- 12. The European Academic Profession or Academic Professions in Europe?; Ester Ava Höhle and Ulrich Teichler -- Appendix: Contextual information about the countries.

This book presents the analysis of the representative survey about the academic profession in twelve European countries. Higher education in Europe has experienced a substantial change in recent years: Expansion progresses further, the expectation to deliver useful contributions of knowledge to the “knowledge society” is on the rise, and efforts to steer academic work through external forces and strong international management are more widespread than ever. Representative surveys of the academic profession in twelve European countries show how professors and junior staff at universities and other institutions of higher education view the role of higher education in society and their professional situation and how they actually shape their professional tasks. Academics differ across Europe substantially in their employment and working conditions, their views and their activities. Most of them favour the preservation of a close link between teaching and research and feel responsible for both theory and practice. Most consider efforts to enhance academic quality and social relevance as compatible. The overall satisfaction with their professional situation is rather high.