What is the real purpoise of this huge apparatus of higher education in architecture? This book proposes to discuss exactly this question. Departing from our assumption that architectural education has not changed much in the last 50 years, how do we define the relationship between education and practice in our countries nowadays? Of course one should feel free to disagree with us and defend the idea that architectural education has indeed changed. In this case, has it changed as much as the profession? In summary we want to ask if academics actually increase the base of professional knowledge or if we rather create another sort of knowledge, apart - at least partially - from the professional practice. And we hope that this book will give us, and our students a broad perspective on architectural education in the Western hemisphere today, allowing us to discuss in which direction it must evolve and where should we concentrate our efforts for change.