In this article, we analyze the new discourses on the university around two Colombian governmental programs: the student loan program Ser Pilo Paga and university rankings Mide. Although these programs can be labeled as market-based or neoliberal reforms, they have not been analyzed from a sociological perspective that discusses its relationship with changes in the idea itself of the university. We analyze the rhetoric surrounding its design and implementation through the content analysis of press articles and documents from governments and international organizations. From a neo-institutional perspective of world society theory, we find that loans have been mainly promoted by the World Bank, while rankings are directly copied from a global culture. There is also a rhetoric using the terms best, quality, excellence and technology that correspond with the global model of the entrepreneurial university. This idea contrasts, though, with terms such as equity, access, fairness and inclusion, in turn related to a discourse about social engagement that partially corresponds to the local idea of the Latin-American university. These tensions between university models where policy instruments are entangled should be further studied in other countries.

The international literature contains few formal analyses of the state of Colombian higher education and its most critical issues. This article systematically and comparatively analyzes the emergence of Colombian doctoral programmes within a national and international context. It shows that, while Colombia has experienced a significant growth in the number of Ph.D. graduates per million people over the last decade, it continues to lag behind other Latin American countries. Further, it is critical for Colombia to increase funding for doctoral training, both by increasing the number of scholarships for graduate studies and by improving the mobility of researchers and strengthening the infrastructure of doctoral programmes. Increasing its numbers of Ph.D. holders is vital if Colombia is to succeed in entering the knowledge-based economy.

Revista Colombiana de Educación, N.º 67. Segundo semestre de 2014, Bogotá, Colombia. KeywordsSituated professional development, pedagogical content knowledge, in-service teacher training, teachers'beliefs, changes in classroom practices. Palavras chaveDesenvolvimento profissional situado, conhecimento didático do conteúdo, formação de docentes em serviço, crenças dos docentes, mudanças de práticas na aula. Palabras claveDesarrollo profesional situado, conocimiento didáctico del contenido, formación de docentes en servicio, creencias de los docentes, cambios de prácticas de aula. ResumenLos aprendizajes de los estudiantes se han convertido en el principal factor de la calidad en la educación. Varios estudios señalan que la capacidad de los docentes para enseñar influye en los aprendizajes. La literatura reciente es cada vez más abundante sobre el tipo de intervención que se requiere para dicha capacidad. Este artículo sintetiza resultados derivados de la investigación en las dos últimas décadas en un conjunto de 10 "pilares" que pueden contribuir al diseño de estrategias de desarrollo profesional situado de docentes en servicio que también pueden ser utilizados en la formación inicial. Varios pilares han sido puestos en práctica en programas de desarrollo docente liderados tanto por el Ministerio de Educación Nacional como por algunas entidades privadas. Dichos programas están fundamentados en el conocimiento didáctico del contenido y muestran la importancia de transitar a paradigmas diferentes a los que han sustentado las estrategias de capacitación de docentes en servicio. AbstractStudents' learning has become the principal factor of quality in education. Several studies point out that the teachers' ability to teach has an impact on learning. The recent literature highlights different approaches to developing this ability. Based on research carried out over the last two decades, this article presents '10 pillars' that can contribute to the formulation of programs addressed to foster situated professional development of in-service teachers. These pillars might be applied to teacher training as well. Several pillars have been introduced on teaching professional development programs led by the Ministry of Education and some private organizations. These programs are based on pedagogical content knowledge and remark the importance of adopting new paradigms to train in-service teachers. ResumoAs aprendizagens dos estudantes tem-se convertido no principal fator da qualidade na educação. Vários estudos mostram que a capacidade dos docentes para Recibido: 30/10/2014 Evaluado: 14/11/2014 Diez pilares para un programa de desarrollo profesional docente centrado en el aprendizaje de los estudiantes //Dez colunas para um programa de desenvolvimento profissional docente centrado na aprendizagem dos estudantes //Ten

Double degrees have been identified in universities around the globe. The Colombian double degree is a local hybrid of the American double major and the local profession-enabling pregrado that universities, particularly elite private ones, marketize in a context of mass higher education, devaluation of first university degrees and a weak economy ensuing from social conflict. Through a narrative approach, we found that students learn to pursue two degrees to: maximize their investment in education; seek future job security; reduce their angst about survival given the low value of university credentials; and gain recognition from peers and family members. Choosing two degrees also maximizes their opportunities for preparing themselves to serve others; allows them to pursue intellectual development and to satisfy their curiosity. The main trend found is that of students led by a consumerist orientation privileged over an educational rationale. We argue that the superimposition of consumerist orientations over self-cultivation motives may occur in the context of implementation of new programs such as double degrees, implemented by universities under a market logic.

Today's firms face a new global economy powered by knowledge rather than physical resources and natural raw materials. Universities are crucial actors in ensuring economic development, not only by training highly qualified human capital, but also by producing new knowledge with innovation potential. University–industry research collaborations (UICs) have been increasingly recognized as an innovation mode. Highly qualified people, mainly at Ph.D. level, are fundamental for the increase of the knowledge pool from which firms and society as a whole can benefit in terms of the production of innovation. The demand for more specialized researchers in business/industry has led to new versions of doctoral programs, such as Industrial Ph.D. Programs (IPPs), which are well-established in a number of countries. After using an analytical international and comparative education methodology, we have found that the cooperation with industry to develop Ph.D. programs in Colombia is relatively weak and requires to be enhanced. In this paper, we argue for the alignment of the so-called third academic mission of economic development with the traditional academic missions of teaching and research through the implementation of IPPs as a mechanism for strengthening the innovation process of firms and country's economic growth.