Zeitschrift für Hochschulentwicklung (Journal for Higher Education Development)

Call for Papers: ZFHE 22/2

Posted on 2026-05-09

Call for Papers ZFHE 22/2

The Contribution of Higher Education Institutions to an Open, Inclusive and Democratic Society

Edited by C. Trautwein, R. Krempkow, O. Zimmermann, L. Leišytė & A.-L. Rose

In the face of complex, pressing social challenges, higher education institutions are expected to act not only as transmitters of knowledge but also as active shapers of social developments. Higher education institutions play a central role in promoting transdisciplinary research and developing practical solutions to wicked problems such as climate change, environmental pollution, poverty, socio-political polarisation and social inequality. Together with practitioners, they should develop and promote solutions that address and integrate both academic and societal needs. The Third Mission calls on universities to contribute more to society by actively participating in solving the problems mentioned above. Tackling this task requires close integration of academia, practice and society, as addressed in quadruple-helix models and through transdisciplinary collaborations.

Call for Papers: ZFHE 22/1

Posted on 2026-05-09

Call for Papers: ZFHE 22/1

Educational Processes in Higher Education: Contributions from Educational Science to Higher Education Research

Edited by C. Scheid, P. Münte, M. Groder & F. Lessky

About the Special Issue

Current debates on study and teaching are dominated by questions regarding the governance of higher education institutions, quality development, career structures within the academic system, the improvement of teaching and learning processes, and, in particular, the desired or undesired social composition of the student population. Higher education institutions are primarily viewed through the lens of influenceable input-output relationships, alongside the associated benchmarks of efficiency, sustainability, diversity, and the successful imparting of systematised skills. An interdisciplinary approach within higher education research is essential to achieving these research objectives.

Call for Papers: ZFHE 21/4

Posted on 2026-05-09

Call for papers, ZFHE 21/4:

Collaborative doctoral programmes as innovative and hybrid spaces for professional development: governance, career pathways and supervision at interfaces and in areas of tension

Edited by P. Reinbacher, B. Böckem & A. Pausits

Cooperative doctoral programmes – that is, doctoral models in which universities collaborate with other universities, non-university research institutions, companies or public organisations – are a topical and relevant subject for higher education research for several reasons. They exemplify the changes in the academic qualification system, in which traditional university doctorates have long ceased to be the only option for the development of early-career researchers. With the growing importance of inter- and transdisciplinarity, application-oriented research and the efforts of many institutions to systematically organise knowledge transfer, new forms of shared responsibility and joint supervision are emerging.

Call for Papers: ZFHE 21/3

Posted on 2026-03-23

Call for Papers: ZFHE 21/3

Digital Sovereignty and Governance. On the Relationship between Media Education and Higher Education Development

Editors: Alessandro Barberi, Svenja Bedenlier, Gabriele Zehetner, Barbara Zuliani

Publication date: September/October 2026

Particularly in the context of digitalisation, higher education institutions, as organisations and institutions, are embedded within diverse governance structures, societal expectations and forms of political control. In doing so, they respond to broader societal and political developments and demands. In the information age, these developments are in turn shaped by processes of mediatisation; in recent years, this has been particularly influenced by the spread of artificial intelligence (AI), which makes various visions of the future conceivable for society, higher education institutions and individuals. Digital infrastructures and AI systems not only intervene in administrative processes, but also alter the conditions under which scientific knowledge is produced and, consequently, the (media education) prerequisites, models and theories of media didactics and education.

Issue 21/1 of the Journal for Higher Education Development published

Posted on 2026-03-07

A new issue of the Journal of Higher Education Development has been published: Issue 21/1/2026 on the topic of "Transformative Learning in the Higher Education Context", edited by Ingrid Geier, Robert Hummer, Sandra Milz and Alessandro Barberi:

https://www.zfhe.at/index.php/zfhe/issue/view/95

At a time when challenges such as social inequality, environmental degradation and climate change are becoming increasingly acute, higher education institutions have a responsibility to contribute to addressing these issues. Especially in times of crisis, when many new courses must be set, it is crucial that universities enable independent and reflective anticipation of what is to come. Teacher training must also equip teachers with the appropriate skills and willingness to initiate change towards a sustainable and just future. Challenges of the type described above can be conceptually summarised under the term "epoch-typical key problems". When it comes to critically and reflectively examining these challenges within the framework of higher education institutions and thereby making them transformable, the concept of transformative learning (TL) plays a key role. TL can – according to its claim – make an educational contribution to a socio-ecological transformation of society that strives for a good life for all.