International Journal of Film and Media Arts

The Path towards the European University in the Current EU Legal Framework: the Unita – Universitas Montium Experience

Barbara Gagliardi — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The development of university cooperation at the European level is closely related both to the needs of the single market and to those of an economic and social cohesion functional to a more effective protection of the rights of European citizens.

The recent launch of EU university alliances is part of this framework, although the absence of legal instruments explicitly conceived for institutionalised cooperation could undermine the success of the action of alliances.

The EU competence in higher education is limited to the support, coordination, and supplement of member state actions (art. 6TFEU). The absence of a harmonising competence circumscribes the possibilities of EU intervention and especially prevents the provision of EU degrees which could replace national diplomas.

However, the allocation of funding allows policies capable of effectively influencing the systems of member states (see for instance the EU experience in common agricultural policies sector).

In this context, the limits of the existing tools could be almost partially overpassed by the adoption of new regulations or directives, to allow an institutionalised cooperation between universities.

The existing solutions offered by the EU legal system are not fully satisfactory, nonetheless, some of them could be useful: among these, the European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG) is especially interesting.

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

How to Govern Autonomous Academic Institutions: Switzerlands ETH-Domain as a case study

Barbara Haering — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

At the outset of this discussion regarding the governance of public academic institutions, let us recognise to what extent science, management and politics follow different logical approaches.

Notes on Governance

José Bragança de Miranda — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Governance is a multi-layered concept that depicts a myriad of formulations and potential affordances. In this paper, we present and discuss some of the key topics that frame the governance problems European Universities face nowadays. We depart from institutions and their interactions with the outer world and their organizational structures and then focus on power and productivity as the two core variables influencing governance. Following the contributions and remarks of several thinkers throughout history, we then reflect on the emergence of governance and the central function it has had throughout history in supporting how institutions survive and prevail sometimes in daring circumstances. We end our notes with an assertion of the plasticity of the concept and its many affordances that go way beyond managerial or political thinking, making governance uncapturable.

Models of Higher Education Governance in Europe: From ‘Organised Anarchy’ to Business-Corporate Organisations

António Magalhães, Amélia Veiga — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

This article discusses the shift from collegial governance of higher education systems and institutions to managerial governance in articulation with the change from state control regulation to the state supervision models. The rise of boardism (i.e. the strengthening of managerial approach to governance and the decrease of the power of academics) influenced by the development of New Public Management approaches is convened to identify the models of European higher education governance.

Moreover, under the framework of the increasing digitalisation of management and governance of higher education, the future(s) of higher education institutions as business-corporate organisations is/are debated. While the academy’s ability to deal with external demands is considered, the introduction of new principles underlining the power of managers over academics emphasizes the decrease of academics’ power in governance and management practices.

Governance in Higher Education Institutions: a glimpse from the US

Maria de Lurdes Machado-Taylor, Pedro Matias — Thu, 29 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

All over the world, higher education (HE) is perceived to be crucial and strategic for the development of regions and nations. In this aspect, the United States (US) higher education plays an important role, and it is recognized for several enduring features that make it distinct from other HE systems throughout the world. The US higher education is diverse and dynamic, with a commitment to academic freedom and cutting-edge research, and a wide range of institutions and programs are available to students. The enormity of the system exceeding 4,000 institutions and serving around 20 million students is clearly one feature.

Its emphasis on access and availability is another. In recent times, one might wish to add its, perhaps, overzealous affinity for a market-driven philosophy. Finally, the mechanism of control through governing boards consisting of citizen-trustees that has endured since its beginning at Harvard College must be highlighted.