Universities and NonGovernmental Organisations A Comparative European Study of the Potential for Civil Society Collaboration

In the opinion of the general public, universities and NGOs would be natural partners for effective collaboration in many fields.They are indeed, but mainly in theory. This book is examines the reasons why this is the case and what possible models of cooperation and facilitated dialogue between institutions of higher education system and NGOs could transform this theoretically optimal union into practice. The authors start with Poland and analyze legal, cultural and socio-economic factors, which impact upon the current state of affairs. Subsequently they move on to consider cases from four other European countries: Portugal, Austria, Slovakia and Great Britain. Then they propose possible solutions, areas for further research and formulate recommendations for strengthening future cooperation between the two main types of actors which shape education and increase awareness in civil societies. Universities and Non-Governmental Organizations will appeal to scholars across the social sciences with interests in higher education and research, public discourse and civil society.