R Europe Education Initiative
Education and Work in the Global Society
One of the most important tasks a society undertakes is
specialized knowledge into a short-lived commodity.
the education of its citizens. Education is central to
Increasingly, the capacity to learn and adapt to new
a society’s economic and social vitality. It creates a
conditions is seen as determining the performance of
supply of skilled workers and helps to ensure the soci-
individuals, firms, institutions, regions, and countries.
ety’s productivity and competitiveness. It also
This situation in turn creates challenges for education
enhances the quality of life for individuals and society,
policymakers and institutions. They must transit from a
provides opportunities for lifelong learning apart from
situation of having relatively fixed responsibilities and
that required to stay current on the job, and creates citi-
a monopoly on knowledge creation to one of adaptabil-
Education
is central to
a society’s
economic and
social vitality.
zens who are well-informed par-
ity to meet the demands for new strategies and solu-
ticipants in a democratic society.
tions. This may require new institutions, frameworks,
Societal responsibility for educa-
and relationships, not only within countries but also
tion, focused upon children in the
across national boundaries. Globalization multiplies
past two centuries, is now—espe-
interactions among different cultures; education must
cially in economically developed
also consider issues of multi-
countries—construed more
ethnicity and how different cul-
broadly to include the education
tures can work and live together
and training of adults in postsecondary education,
vocational education, continuing education, and other
adult learning settings.
These are high and demanding expectations for
fruitfully and respectfully.
Examples of the kinds of
issues that need to be addressed
in the current environment are
The current
environment
presents
challenges
that education
policymakers
have not
faced before.
education. There is great concern in Europe and
already present in education
America about the quality of schooling today and how
policy discussions. These
to adequately measure the effects of public expendi-
include the importance of sup-
ture. Policymakers and scholars may disagree about the
porting lifelong learning as a
extent to which the education system is structured to
key enabler in a sustainable
meet all of its goals, how well it fulfills the potential of
knowledge economy; the role of public-private partner-
its structure, or how adaptive the system is to emerging
ships in the creation and maintenance of the education
needs. But few will declare themselves satisfied with
system; changes in curricula due to the growing pene-
the present situation.
tration of information technologies; and the successful
The current environment presents challenges that
integration of minorities and other disadvantaged
education policymakers have not faced before. The
groups as active participants in the labor market and
high pace of change in the global society is turning
society at large.
The challenge for policymakers is to reconcile
Knowledge and Organisational Performance (SKOPE);
global change with the particular needs and characteris-
discussions with others are in progress.
tics of national systems. Policy research and analysis
must be sensitive to differences among nations and
RAND Has the Right Experience
must look beyond current institutions and processes.
RAND Europe helps European governments, institu-
An interdisciplinary, empirically based, comparative
tions, and firms manage the changes they face—
approach is needed to provide insights and lessons
European integration, restructuring, and the informa-
Policy
research and
analysis must
be sensitive
to differences
among nations
and must
look beyond
current
institutions
and processes.
from different nations. Within the
tion revolution. RAND Europe’s recent work includes
European Union, where there is a
developing analytic frameworks and innovative
growing tendency to harmonize
methodological tools that allow comparative policy
policies among member states on
analyses across national boundaries. These tools
the one hand and increased sub-
include new forms of seminar gaming, extrapolation
sidiarity on the other, this com-
from evidence bases to the systematic and quantitative
parative approach becomes all
analysis of structured recom-
the more necessary.
mendations of multinational
panels of experts, and use of
The RAND Europe
state-of-the-art adaptive
Education Initiative Will
analytic computer models.
Address These Issues
These tools help identify best
To help meet these challenges
practices in diverse fields and
and to provide a focal point for
the conditions required for
transatlantic collaborative work,
effective use of those practices.
RAND—a nonprofit institution
For example, in the past five
that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through
years, RAND Europe has
research and analysis—has established the RAND
helped countries evaluate and
Europe Education Initiative (REEI). REEI’s purpose is
then focus their research and
to serve as a bridge between researchers working on
development efforts; analyzed
education policy analysis and evaluation in the United
policy instruments for sustain-
States and Europe. RAND Education and RAND
able development; examined the
Europe, two units within RAND, will operate REEI
organization of safety investiga-
jointly. Both units are well situated to accomplish
tion boards; and evaluated the
this task: RAND Europe has offices in Leiden, the
appropriateness of health care.
Netherlands; Cambridge, England; and Berlin,
For three decades, RAND
RAND Europe
helps
European
governments,
institutions,
and firms
manage the
changes
they face—
European
integration,
restructuring,
and the
information
revolution.
Germany. RAND Education works from three principal
Education has helped to identi-
American RAND offices in Santa Monica, California;
fy and analyze the complex
Washington, D.C.; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They
problems facing the education system in the United
will carry out the program of work under this new ini-
States; many of the same problems are faced by educa-
tiative in collaboration with European research and
tion systems in developed countries worldwide. RAND
policy communities. Two institutes already committed
Education’s mission is to bring accurate data and care-
to working with REEI are the Danish Technological
ful objective analysis to the debate on education policy.
Institute (DTI) and the British ESRC Centre on Skills,
Projects address such current policy concerns as school
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reform, assessment, and accountability; teachers and
facing its clients in European nations, the European
teaching; and workforce preparation. RAND Education
Commission, and other public- and private-sector
also works extensively on the scientific basis for
clients in Western, Central, and Eastern Europe.
improving educational assessment, organizational
RAND Education works not only in North America
effectiveness, and system performance. For example,
but also in the Middle East.
for over ten years, it has worked
RAND
Education’s
mission is to
bring
accurate data
and careful
objective
analysis to the
debate on
education
policy.
• An integrative, multidisciplinary approach. Most
with New American Schools
problems—especially those in education—do not fit
(NAS), one of the most
neatly into one academic discipline. We approach
widespread and carefully planned
each project with a systems perspective and bring
models of school change in the
together researchers in all relevant specialties,
United States. RAND Education
including education, social sciences, statistics, eco-
has assisted NAS since its early
nomics, public administration, and policy analysis.
stages—conducting ongoing
• An appreciation of teamwork. RAND works in
research and analysis, as well as a
research teams, not only among its own units, but
major evaluation of the impact of
also with external partners. This helps ensure the
NAS on districts, schools, teach-
comprehensive overview needed to understand dif-
ers, and students. Over the same
ferent stakeholder perceptions, different cultural
period, RAND Education has
perspectives, and different resource capacities.
done extensive work in vocation-
• A willingness to confront uncertainty, change, and
al education to explore a wide
complexity. We help our clients conceptualize com-
variety of topics on the relation-
plex problems under conditions of uncertainty, and
ship between education and
then apply advanced, objective research and analy-
work. Similar long-term projects have been carried out
sis for innovative solutions. Our methods and mod-
for a variety of American and international clients.
els meet the highest technical standards and employ
RAND’s European collaborators also bring sub-
the most advanced empirical techniques.
stantive experience to the enterprise. For example, the
• A commitment to quality and objectivity. RAND’s
Danish Technological Institute conducted a study for
core value is quality—in the talent of its people; in
the Ministries of Research and Education to guide the
the care they take in their research; in the tools they
establishment of a national ICT University. The insti-
use; and in all of their projects, products, and fields
tute has played a central role in the national reform of
of work. This core value is backed by RAND’s
the vocational education system for the Danish
strict quality assurance process. Before RAND’s
Ministry of Education—from concept development to
work is released, it is scrutinized by experts in the
implementation. With the ESRC Centre on Skills,
relevant field—either internal or external to
Knowledge and Organisational Performance, RAND
RAND—for thoroughness, appropriateness of
is jointly developing a seminar game on post-16 edu-
research methods, quality of evidence, and objective
cation and training in the United Kingdom.
interpretation.
• The ability to translate the findings of our research
The REEI team offers:
into practical choices and solutions. Part of RAND’s
• A global perspective. Since its beginnings in 1948,
mission has always been to provide practical guid-
RAND has helped solve a wide range of problems
ance by making policy choices clear and addressing
in countries around the globe. RAND Europe brings
barriers to effective policy implementation.
worldwide best practices to bear on the challenges
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