Projects / Programmes
Diferenciacija, enakost, produltivnost: socialne in ekonomske konsekvence razširjenih in diferenciranih visokošolskih sistemov z vidikov internacionalizacije (Slovene)
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.01.01 |
Social sciences |
Educational studies |
Pedagogy |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 5.03 |
Social Sciences |
Educational sciences |
Researchers (6)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
28687 |
PhD Manja Klemenčič |
Political science |
Researcher |
2010 - 2012 |
226 |
| 2. |
32760 |
Janja Komljenovič |
Interdisciplinary research |
Researcher |
2010 - 2012 |
52 |
| 3. |
32759 |
MSc Klemen Miklavič |
Interdisciplinary research |
Researcher |
2010 - 2012 |
73 |
| 4. |
25475 |
Igor Repac |
Political science |
Technical associate |
2010 - 2012 |
21 |
| 5. |
23750 |
PhD Janez Vogrinc |
Educational studies |
Researcher |
2010 - 2012 |
438 |
| 6. |
05263 |
PhD Pavel Zgaga |
Philosophy |
Head |
2010 - 2012 |
981 |
Organisations (1)
Significance for science
Internationalisation of HE has been a frequent research theme in the past decade worldwide. Our research group has been aware of this fact and has therefore channelled our attention to under-researched themes while naturally relying on and drawing from the ample body of literature in the broader area of HE internationalisation research. In particular, we have focused on study of the effects of internationalisation, Europeanisation and globalisation: on two specific aspects of HE governance (institutional autonomy and academic freedom, and student participation), and on differentiation of higher education systems. We have also focused on the relation between the effects of internationalisation and the (stage of) development of HE systems in the so-called (post-)transitional countries of the Western Balkans. There has been a marked gap in scholarly literature on this specific relation, and there has been striking absence of scholarly research on these themes. Our research group believes that it is precisely in this area where the groups’ most original work and thus contribution to science stand.
Through the research project we have also advanced and updated several research findings which individual group members developed alone in the past. (This was the first time the members of the group collaborated in a joint research project.) This is especially true for research on the Bologna Process and its implementation (related report from 2003/2005, see [COBISS.SI-ID 6237513], which is one of the most cited works of the group members), and for research on the so-called “global dimension” of the EHEA (related report from 2006, see [COBISS.SI-ID 6962761], also among the most cited works). Our invited contributions to the monograph European Higher Education at the Crossroads ([COBISS.SI-ID 9239881], [COBISS.SI-ID 9240137], [COBISS.SI-ID 9240393]) are but one, highly visible, example of that. As our most important scholarly contribution we consider the final monograph The Globalisation Challenge for European Higher Education which is - at the time of writing of this report - just about to be published with Peter Lang. In the monograph we explore jointly with foreign partners a specific and previously unexplored problem: convergence and differentiation of higher education in relation to “centres” and “peripheries” (see 7.1.)
Equally resourceful is our collection of statistical data on higher education systems covering the period of last 20 years as well as of key legislative and strategic policy documents in the Western Balkan region. This collection will be a useful resource also for other researchers; although there is a linguistic obstacle for its general usage (most of the legislative and strategic documents are not available in other than local languages). Together with the core theoretical literature on HE research with which we have enriched our Faculty library, all these resources importantly support future development of science in Slovenia in the area of HE research.
Our research group published most of its work with international publishers and in international journals; thus presented our work to the widest possible audience. The recent invitations from abroad (for key notes, editorships, organisation of conferences, collaboration in and invitation to jointly apply for new projects) we consider as a sign that our work has been acknowledged internationally. Finally, in the project implementation we have paid particular attention to the contemporary principles of good research conduct. We have paid attention: to balanced collaboration with partners from Central and South-east Europe; to balanced age distribution (especially visible among authors of the final monograph, see 7.1.), and in terms of gender balance in our own research group.
Significance for the country
In Western Europe, research on higher education (HE) has proliferated over the past quarter of century; in Slovenia such research has been underdeveloped and sporadic. Our project has contributed to the consolidation of HE research specialisation, to training of new researchers and to forming the knowledge base which will serve as a foundation for new research avenues in this area in the future.
In the context of the project we have studied questions of internationalisation of HE which are of high strategic priority for the Republic of Slovenia and for its universities. Our findings concerning the key conceptual dilemmas as well as the comparative analysis of Slovenia with other countries offer foundations of and some solutions for the national and institutional HE strategies. As particularly important we would like to highlight following contributions:
- Critical analysis of the Slovenian implementation of the principles of the Bologna Process in the European comparative perspective;
- Comparative analysis of the on-going effects of internationalisation on HE policies and on development of HE institutions in Slovenia and the Western Balkan countries in general and in particular in respect to differentiation;
- Identification of neuralgic points that emerge when we study HE and equity, and in respect to the effects of internationalisation and globalisation;
- Comparative analysis (of 40 countries) of “global strategy” in the area of HE with evaluation of possible improvements;
- Evaluation of possible further developments in the specific area of teacher education within HE.
Our research group contributed directly to the on-going salient discussion at our universities on questions of internationalisation with editing a monograph (in Slovenian and in English) “Paths to internationalisation: higher education policies, trends and strategies in Europe and Slovenia” (CMEPIUS, 2011) contributing also a foreword and an article. We also edited a translation of P. Bourdieu’s Homo academicus into Slovenian (2012).
The project has contributed to the popularisation of research on HE in Slovenia. This can be shown through presence of Slovenian researchers at seminars, conferences and visiting lectures that we organised as well as through the interest among new doctoral candidates (currently two Slovenian and two foreign). Furthermore, we have edited a special issue of international journal CEPS Journal (No 4/2012) published by our Faculty, which was thematically dedicated to the analyses of HE reforms in Central and South-east Europe. Contributors to the special issue came from Slovenia and from abroad. All in all, the completed research project present one of the starting points for future research on HE in Slovenia and its integration and visibility in international arena.
Applicability of our project’s research results can be shown through our participation in the formulation of the Resolution on National programme of higher education (2011-2020) which contained conceptual and strategic contributions, some data preparation, and – to some extent – also training workshops. Similarly we have collaborated with the Council of Europe (of which Slovenia is a member) on questions of institutional autonomy and academic freedom, and have contributed to the preparations for the new regulatory document in this area (more under point 7). We have just started a new project on academic work and internationalisation for CMEPIUS.
We have used research findings in teaching at Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana: in the new module Conceptualisation of the university and research areas at the doctoral level, and in several modules of the new master’s programme Educational policies.
As already mentioned, the project has importantly contributed to the enrichment of the core international literature in the area of research on HE which is now publically available through the Library of the Faculty of Education.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2010,
2011,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2010,
2011,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
