ABSTRACT. The current study set out to identify the dynamism of Australian academic units’ environments and their functional complexity, the quality of reform implementation in the Armenian higher education, the emergence of the knowledge-based economy, the content and interpretation of knowledge-creating discourse, and reforms of the university system in Japan. The purpose of this study is to examine the development of learning culture in learning institutions, trends impacting the increased use of e-learning, the abilities of academic staff in teaching and research, the internal steering and management systems of universities, and academic units’ adaptation and resistance to changing environments. pp. 421–426
JEL: A23, I23, H52

Keywords: academic unit, higher education, knowledge-based economy