Linda Wedlin, Uppsala University

The aim of the project is to study the development and implications of new systems of governance and regulation of higher education and research that have developed in Europe in recent years. Specifically, we have sought to explicate the interrelation between the political aims and desires to regulate and control systems for higher education and research, and the emerging market-driven, and market-driving, governance mechanisms currently being developed. Detailed studies of organizations and efforts to govern this area include efforts within the Bologna process, and the forming of the European Research Council for financing research at the European level. Main questions for these studies include: How and why have these initiatives evolved? What do they contain, and what are the implications for the role and function of higher education and research in Europe?

The project has contributed to a better understanding of transnational and multi-level dynamics in the forming of political, financial and social conditions for higher education and research. Our main contention is that new policy and governance initiatives at the European level does not simply mean adding another "governance level" to the national ones, but is in many ways forming a new "space" for activities of higher education and research in Europe. This new space has significant implications for the way science is argued for, organized and conducted within Europe.

The main findings of this project can be described using the framework developed for understanding the interrelation between three different notions of this new "European space" for research and higher education: political, organizational and ideational processes. First, analyzing the political space, we have noted the important and dynamic interrelations between national and transnational settings and developments in forming new governance mechanism for higher education and research at the European level. While it is easy to see the new developments in European policy and governance of higher education and research as a rather straightforward move, or extension, in authority of governance from the national to the supranational (EU) level, our studies show that there is a reciprocal relation between national agendas and initiatives and developments at the transnational level that need to be accounted for. National and transnational developments increasingly go together, and are influenced in direct and indirect ways of each other. Thus, many of the transnational initiatives and processes, such as the Bologna process, was heavily influenced by national agendas for reform and change.

It is evident that these processes are not automatic, but require active work by individuals and/or organizations to move policy agendas and ideas between contexts and levels. This is where the second aspect, the organizational space, comes into play, where we particularly note the important role of transnational organisations, meta-organizations and diverse organizing efforts as drivers in the interaction between national and transnational initiatives and processes. Organizations and organizing initiatives are increasing at the European level, and these have played an important role in shaping policy initiatives and mechanisms for governance as well as shaping the political agenda and space. Furthermore, we see how old organizations take on new roles, new ones are created, and new alliances and pacts are being formed. A particularly interesting case is the creation of the European Research Council, which is essentially a new organization at the European level. Analysis of the creation of this organization illustrate how organizations at the European level, as well as national developments and processes, have played a role in creating a new political as well as ideological setting for research funding at the European level. In this case the creation of an organizational space preceded, to some extent, the creation of political space and acceptance for a European scientific area.

The third aspect, the ideational space, contains ideas and principles that are clearly related to logic of market and competition, prevalent in many other spheres of society. This ideational component makes up the basis for much of the changes in governance principles and arrangements characterizing the field in recent years. We show that several initiatives to instill market ideas and create competition among universities, scientists and other components of the field, serve as important ideational battles over what principles and values should guide the development of higher education and research in the future. Particularly pronounced in the European debates are issues of quality and excellence - how quality, performance and excellence should be assessed, evaluated and measured and controlled in new governance arrangements and relationships. Therefore, a particularly important element in the construction of a European space for research and higher education is the development of new organizations, principles and mechanisms for quality assurance, evaluation, and ranking higher education organizations as well as individuals.

Our studies have shown how these three notions of a European space are interrelated and have interacted in different ways to form new initiatives and dynamics for governing higher education and research at the European level. This contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of contemporary dynamics in the process of constructing new governance arrangements and in shaping the conditions for universities and other research and higher education organizations in Europe. While our studies suggest that there is an increasing activity and importance of this new space, detailed studies of how universities as well as researchers and other actors act on and relate to this new space provide ample room for future research and new research questions.

Two of our forthcoming publications represent our work:
1. "Towards a European Quality Assurance System", written by Tina Hedmo (a chapter of an edited volume being published by the Consortium of Higher Education Research)

This chapter focuses on the role and meaning of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in shaping European policies and policy instruments and how these interrelate with other policy actors in relational network structures spanning organizational boundaries. The chapter uses the Bologna Process and its policy agenda in quality assurance for explaining how professional associations and meta-organizations have been critical policy actors in the formation of policy instruments at the transnational level. The chapter is linked to a research agenda calling attention to the striking spread and organizing of soft rules such as policies, recommendations, guidelines, comparisons, and evaluations beyond the national level.

2. "Towards European Science: Dynamics and change in science policy and organization", book edited by Linda Wedlin and Maria Nedeva (under review with Edward Elgar Publishing)

The main contention in this book is that current developments in science policy and organization at the European level represent a break in the trajectory of European science policy. We label this as a change from "science in Europe" to "European science", implicating an institutionalisation process of science and research at the European level. Taking this break in trajectory as our starting point we seek to analyse the dynamic and implications of this development. The main question for the book is: What are the driving forces and manifestations of setting up a European area for science and research?

The book draws out the main elements of such a break in trajectories: first, there has been a shift in rationale for creating science policy at the European level, moving from the specification of a technical problem of "fragmentation" of science systems within Europe to define science and science policy as one of the core elements of regional development and competitiveness for the European Union. Second, there has been an ideological shift in emphasis and in the means to achieve a common scientific area in Europe. From having a clear focus on cooperation and coordination of national policy and funding, mainly through the Framework Programs, there has been a shift to a stronger emphasis on integration of research efforts and fields. The main way to reach such integration is by creating competition in science and research across national boundaries within the union. Third, there are practical manifestations of these shifts in terms of broadening the range of policy mechanisms and principles used to deliver on these new rationales and visions. The establishment of the European Research Council in 2007 is the most explicit example, but there are also examples of new or revised coordination mechanisms becoming used in this area. We analyze in this book the interrelationships and dynamics between different parts of the science system and the policy environment to explain these developments.

Other forms of reporting and communicating the results of this study include: participation in approximately 11 international research conferences; organizing of conference tracks at the SCANCOR anniversary conference at Stanford University (2008) and the Nordic conference on the history of education, Uppsala University (2009); and organizing of an international conference on European science policy at Uppsala University (2009). Linda Wedlin also held a public lecture at the University of Bergen in 2006.