Post-War Britain’s Demands and New Universities’ Response : Focusing on the Case of the University of Warwick

This paper analyses the national and social demands for higher education in post-war Britain and examines how universities have responded to and changed in response to these demands. To this end, it overviews the establishment and development of English university education, and captures the formation and growth of the New Universities that emerged in the 1960s. In particular, this paper focuses on the University of Warwick, which has been regarded as a representative and the most successful case of ‘new’ universities. It reconstructs the founding process and subsequent development of the University, which allows for a concrete understanding of how higher education institutions have responded to national, regional, and socio-economic demands. Additionally, by examining the curricula and programs at the University of Warwick, it is possible to understand how society's expectations of higher education are realized in universities. Through this case study, we can explore the reasons why the university system has endured over a long history and identify the key elements necessary for individual educational institutions to adapt to changing environments and achieve successful development.