Richard Münch is Professor of Sociology at the University of Bamberg.

This book examines the political economy of academic capitalism, investigating why and how the economic logic of capital accumulation has come to dominate the academy, how this domination has changed the struggle for recognition in the academic field, and the consequences for academic freedom and the evolution of scientific knowledge.

Introduction: Struggling for Excellence in the Academic Field 1. The New Rules of Science: From Gift Exchange to the Shanghai World League of Universities 2. The Entrepreneurial University: From Homo Academicus to Homo Oeconomicus 3. Constructing Excellence by Evaluation 4. The Monopoly Mechanism in Science 5. From Competition to Stratification: Universities in the Struggle for Funds, Staff and Students 6. The Allocation of Funds and International Fellows Among Universities: Publication Performance versus Accumulated Capital 7. The Allocation of Funds and Reputation Among Departments: Publication Performance versus Accumulated Capital. Conclusion: Universities in the Global Struggle for Excellence. Appendix.