Since the start of the 1980s a number of themes have dominated the landscape of higher education. Amongst them have been budget cuts, rationalization in provision, accountability and quality control, closer links between higher education and the region and a greater alertness to changes in economic and social policy. At the institutional level, the drive towards a greater degree of latitude and autonomy has found a ready echo amongst universities and other establishments of higher education. And this, in its turn, has posed major questions about the range of responsibilities central government and administration ought to retain or to delegate.
