This book innovatively explores how universities might be engines of reform and social change.Using rich case studies drawn from South African research, this book comprehensively provides a myriad of new perspectives on what constitutes a set of appropriate professional capabilities that will translate successfully into social progression. It asks challenges universities to produce professionals who have the knowledge, skills and values to improve the lives of people living in poverty in urban and rural settings. It covers issues such as: South African Debates about Higher Education Institutional conditions and professional educational arrangements Social Constraints on educating ethically aware public professionals Global Issues and Professional Education: history, power and normative choice By drawing on an approach that focuses on differing capabilities, this book produces a crucial new framework for the global study of higher education policy. It looks at higher education's contribution to global social justice beyond the mere human capital, administering a challenge to Higher Education internationally to address human development in the 21st century. This book will be of great interest to all scholars of higher education involved in higher education studies, comparative education, and development studies. It will also prove valuable to policy makers, higher education leaders and lecturers and graduate professionals in diverse organizations.