European higher education regionalization
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2023
Author(s)
Abstract
European Union support for regionalization in higher education (HE) assumes different shapes such as funding instruments or the facilitation of best-practice exchange. Since regionalization in HE has been advanced both due to and regardless of EU policies and EU financial support, neither underes-timating nor overemphasizing the effects of EU regional policy is helpful. This contribution assumes the role of an arbiter between two extremes of the scholarly debate on the complex relationship be-tween regionalization endeavours and EU incentives. To disentangle changes that were introduced by the EU from pre-existing and independently developed cross-border cooperation patterns and structures, a theoretical model is developed that synthesizes insights from regionalization and Euro-peanization literature with their different underlying institutionalist logics. The theoretical model combines proposed typologies of regionalization endeavours with structural, relational, and cogni-tive Europeanization mechanisms. Applying the model to a cross-case analysis of two HE regionalization endeavours in border regions, the analysis provides that the Europeanization of HE institution cooperation is far from being an easy case. Even though international cooperation is at the core of HE institution missions, it is no self-fulfilling prophecy that HE institutions engage in cooperation across borders. What is more, the EU’s knowledge policies have created regional, European, and transna-tional roles for HE institutions. Given that the different knowledge policies pursue different objec-tives – student mobility, excellence in research and territorial cohesion – arriving at a European HE and research area that is clustered into networks among HE institutions appears very likely.
Event Title
Council for European Studies (CES) Conference
Event Location
University of Iceland, Reykjaviík, Iceland
Event Date
27.-29.06.2023