Universities have been propelled into the center of the growing global public sphere by a number of factors: Mass education, academic capitalism, the globalization of knowledge, the democratization of communication in the era of the Internet, and the emergence of the knowledge and innovation economy. The latest book in the International Studies in Higher Education series, Universities and the Public Sphere addresses the vital role of research universities as sites where public interaction, conversation and deliberation take place, where the nature of the State and private interests can be openly debated and contested. At a time of increased privatization, open markets, and government involvement in higher education, the book also addresses the challenges for this role as a global public sphere.In this volume, international contributors move beyond simplistic arguments of the global marketplace to create a deeper understanding of higher education's role in knowledge creation and nation building. In nearly every national context the pressures of globalization, neo-liberal economic restructuring, and new managerial imperatives challenge traditional norms of autonomy, academic freedom, access and affordability. The evolution of the global public sphere has outpaced the global political economy. Universities and the Public Sphere argues that as part of that public sphere universities are uniquely suited to have transformative democratic potential.