The Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE).

The Centre for the Study of Higher Education (formerly the Education Policy Unit) at the University of the Western Cape specialises in the field of higher education policy research and analysis. It is located in the Faculty of Education at the University of the Western Cape. The mission of the CSHE is:

• To conduct high quality theoretical and policy-relevant higher education research and thereby to contribute towards the development of a higher education system in South Africa that is equitable and responsive to national and regional economic and social development priorities
• To contribute, by means of its research, teaching and information services, towards developing the field of higher education policy studies nationally and internationally ¨ To contribute to the institutionalisation of the field of higher education studies through providing a masters programme in higher education Policy Analysis, Leadership and Management, in conjunction with the UWC Faculty of Education and in collaboration with other academic and research organisations and institutions
• To develop the capacity of its current staff and of future researchers, particularly from historically disadvantaged social backgrounds, in higher education policy research and analysis through in-house training and an internship programme ¨ To serve the local and international higher education community through a specialist higher education policy library and information service
• To develop collaborative links and exchanges within the international, regional and national higher education community, especially in Africa and the developing countries ¨ To function as a centre for visiting scholars and interns for the purposes of collaborative research and training, making available the human resources, academic activities, specialist library and IT infrastructure of the Centre, the University and the Western Cape region
• To create a reflective learning organisation which is:
• responsive to the professional and personal developmental needs of all its staff
• characterised by a conducive, trusting and rewarding working ethos and by efficient and effective organisational practices.

Our webpage address is: www.epu.uwc.ac.za

The CSHE maintains a library with a specialist collection of higher and further education literature, comprising of books, journals, serial and government publications, and an extensive documentary collection including the primary materials of the National Education Policy Investigation and the National Commission on Higher Education. It is a deposit library for publications issued by UNESCO’s International Institute of Educational Planning and other key international agencies. The library is currently undergoing major development, which includes the digitisation of appropriate materials and Internet-based access to its catalogue, databases and CSHE publications and information services. The library is in the process of digitising appropriate material and expanding access to its collection and to CSHE publications via the Internet. The CSHE offers an information service which includes bibliographic searches and the provision of statistical information on higher education.