Basic premise : colleges and universities indispensable to economic and community development -- The new role of higher education : economic and community development -- U.S. higher education : the emergence of urban universities -- U.S. higher education : the reinvention of the land-grant university -- U.S. higher education : community college--a uniquely American institution -- British and Irish higher education : ancient but thoroughly modern -- Middle Eastern higher education : two oases in the desert -- Higher education in developing countries : the BRIC nations -- Conclusions : colleges and universities indispensable to economic and community development.