This is what Alma Maldonoado-Maldonado and Roberta Malee Bassett say about Prof Philip Altbach in the festschrift in his honour The Forefront of International Higher Education (2014):
"Quantitatively, he has authored and coauthored 21 books, edited and coedited 23 books, written 16 book chapters, and published more than 50 articles. He has written 92 articles in his influential newsletter International Higher Education and 32 blog posts in The World View, and his works have been translated into more than a dozen languages. Finally, he has served as an editor of eight (8) journals and book series. But, discussing Phil's career quantitatively misses the real essence of Phil's contribution to the field of international higher education. Qualitatively, Phil's reach in this field is almost unparalleled. We believe it is fair to say that in his 47 years in this field, Philip Altbach has been everywhere in the world of international and comparative education and higher education, and no scholar or practitioner in this field has been untouched by his contributions"(p. 2).
The festschrift covers a huge amount of ground of Phil's work: on the internationalization of higher education; academic mobility; regional perspectives and worldwide perspectives; and world-class universities. But there is one aspect of his huge contribution which is left uncovered in the festschrift: Philip Altbach's seminal contribution to our understanding of student politics and student activism in particular.
It is my great honour to contribute a chapter on Philip Altbach's contribution to a theoretical understanding of student activism in the 20th century to a forthcoming book published by the Council of Europe.
It is an even greater honour that Philip Altbach has written a Preface to the forthcoming book Student Representation in Higher Education Governance in Africa which I co-edit with Manja Klemencic and James Otieno Jowi. As Manja wrote to Phil upon receipt of his Preface:
It is an even greater honour that Philip Altbach has written a Preface to the forthcoming book Student Representation in Higher Education Governance in Africa which I co-edit with Manja Klemencic and James Otieno Jowi. As Manja wrote to Phil upon receipt of his Preface:
"Your writing never fails to impress. This preface is perfect; not a word to be changed as far as I am concerned. Thank you so much!"
