Access, participation and exclusion from higher education for marginalized and disadvan­taged sections of the population are an intricate socio-political as well as economic practice that has manifold explanations and outcomes. During the last three decades, the higher education has experienced expansion in both enrolments and institutions. The approaches and means of delivery have changed besides the diversification in provision. The role of the state and mar­ket has also reformed. This characteristic has also altered the nature of equity in higher edu­cation across the globe. The chapters of this book on different countries of Asia, Europe and Latin America examine access and describe the several spaces where cohorts of relevant age group are included, excluded, or are at threat of exclusion in higher education. The chapters also narrate the state of affairs in which despite numerous alike structure in the experience and outcomes of social exclusion across disenfranchised groups and regions, how some critical differences have led to different paths of struggles and policy formation to attain the objective of equity in higher education.

Saeed Paivandi is presently Professor at the University of Lorraine and Director, Laboratory for Educational Science and Communication (LISEC), Nancy, France.

K.M.Joshi is presently Professor of Economics of Higher Education at the Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar, India.

1. Reducing Inequality of Opportunity in Higher Education: Policy on Equity in Colombia

Lina Uribe Correa

2. Access vs Admission: The Open and Free-for all Public Universities in Argentina and its Consequences in terms of Equity

Marcelo Rabossi

3. Access to Higher Education and Inequality in Brazil

Georgina Gonçalves dos Santos, Rosana Heringer and Sônia Sampaio

4. Equity in Indian Higher Education: Issues and Challenges in Access and Participation

K.M. Joshi and Kinjal V. Ahir

5. Equity in Malaysian Higher Education: Revisiting the Policies and Initiatives

Chang Da Wan, Abdul Razak Ahmad and Russayani Ismail

6. Equity in Higher Education Systems: The Case of Greece

George Stamelos and Aggelos Kavasakalis

7. The Challenge of Equity in French Higher Education

Saeed Paivandi

8. Higher Education in Spain: Framework for Equity

José Beltrán, Alejandra Montané and Daniel Gabaldón-Estevan

9. Equity in Higher Education: The Portuguese Case

Jorge Correia Jesuino, Elisa Chaleta and João Pissarra

10. Access and Equity in Polish Higher Education

Wojciech Duczmal

11. Equity in Mexico´s Higher Education: Profound Gaps in Access and Expectations from Different Public and Private Universities

Jorge Gamaliel Arenas Basurto