Introduction: Understanding Change in the Academic Profession through the Perceptions of Academics and Institutional Leadership. Tatiana Fumasoli, Gaële Goastellec, and Barbara M. Kehm -- The Rocky Road to Tenure: Career Paths in Academia. Angelika Brechelmacher, Elke Park, Gülay Ates, and David F. J. Campbell -- The Changing Paths in Academic Careers in European Universities: Minor Steps and Major Milestones. Marek Kwiek and Dominik Antonowicz -- Global Models, Disciplinary and Local Patterns in Academic Recruitment Processes. Tatiana Fumasoli and Gaële Goastellec -- Changing Employment and Working Conditions. Timo Aarrevaara, Ian R Dobson, and Janne Wikström -- Academics’ Perceptions of Their Professional Contexts. Marie Clarke, Jonathan Drennan, Abbey Hyde, and Yurgos Politis -- Academics and Community Engagement: Comparative Perspective from Three European Countries. Bojana Ćulum, Marko Turk, and Jasminka Ledić -- Implementation of Quality Assurance Systems in Academic Staff Perspective:  an Overview. Luminita Moraru, Mirela Praisler, Simona Marin, and Corina Bentea -- Academics and New Higher Education Professionals: Tensions, Recipro-cal Influences and Forms of Professionalization. Barbara M. Kehm -- Academic Careers and Work in Europe: Trends, Challenges, Perspectives. Tatiana Fumasoli, Gaële Goastellec, and Barbara M. Kehm.

This book explores the perceptions of academic staff and representatives of institutional leadership about the changes in academic careers and academic work experienced in recent years. It emphasizes standardisation and differentiation of academic career paths, impacts of new forms of quality management on academic work, changes in recruitment, employment and working conditions, and academics’ perceptions of their professional contexts. The book demonstrates a growing diversity within the academic profession and new professional roles inhabiting a space which is neither located in the core business of teaching and research nor at the top level management and leadership. The new higher education professionals tend to be important change agents within the higher education institutions not only fulfilling service and bridging functions but also streamlining academic work to make a contribution to the reputation and competitiveness of the institution as a whole. Based on interviews with academic staff, this book explores the situation in eight European countries: Austria, Croatia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Romania, and Switzerland.