Neoliberal Policy and Higher Education in Europe: The case of Greece Toliou Rosa Mid-term conference in Ljubljana June 29-30, 2007

E.U. and Higher Education “Information Society” → new technologies “Knowledge Society” → “useful” knowledge OECD (’80s) → EU (’90s) → Sorbonne, Bologna… Lisbon Strategy: “The EU should be made the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world”

3 main challenges for the European Higher Education: 1) improve the universities' quality and make them more attractive (teaching & learning more flexible & open to the labour market, more competitive etc) 2) improve their governance (more managerial autonomy & flexible regulatory framework) 3) increase and diversify their funding (participation of industry and households)

Higher Education reality in Europe 1) basic ≠ applied research research: industrialized massively cultivated more openly submitted to the demands of the capital Research → expensive → private funding → research in profitable areas (“useful” research) 2) Quality assurance: ranking & competitiveness determine the funding & viability of departments

3) Specialization → “to meet the demands of a changing economy” New specialized departments Flexible programme studies Short – run training studies X “academic department” “Short – lived” skills & knowledge New type of scientist X scientific cohesion Fragmented social knowledge Working privileges & rights?

4) 2 cycles of studies (3+2) ↓ 2 types of employees ↓ those who will directly be introduced into the labour market and those who will consist the future managerial elite (e.g T9 – Elite universities) 5) “Universities of Excellence”→ specialization & supremacy in a specific field → supremacy in competition → private interests

In 1987, the Advisory Council of the Research Councils [of England] suggested: 1.a top category of 15 institutions focusing on top research (and will be accordingly funded) 2.a second category of the next 15 institutions involved in high quality research but on less costly issues 3.a third category of all the rest institutions that will be mainly involved in teaching at an under – and postgraduate level and its research will be minimal

Higher Education – the Bolkenstein Directive – GATS  Liberalization of services  No direct exception of the directive being applied on education  Country-of-origin-principle  Harmonisation of the education systems is needed  EHEA moves towards lifting the impediments for harmonisation  The Directive → an important step towards GATS

GREECE  Universities  Technological Education Institutes  3 types of post-secondary education →Centres of vocational training →Co-operations with foreign institutions →Branches of foreign colleges/universities European Court → recognition of degrees

New framework conditioning the operation of HE institutions 4-years academic – developmental programmes (“contracts”) → negotiations on a 1 - to -1 base between the institutions and the Ministry of Education Graduates’ employability → viability of departments Drawing up of internal by – laws for the universities on a model suggested by the National Council for Education Managers Asylum