Differentiated Integration in Higher Education and Research

Abstract

The panel will focus on differentiated integration in the construction of Europe of Knowledge in terms of two conceptually distinct dimensions: (1) the varied nature of policies and instruments on European level, and (2) the varied national and institutional adaptation to these instruments. An underlying theme in this panel is that this multi-arena, multi-actor, multi-issue and multi-level character of Europe of Knowledge creates opportunities for varied patterns of integration. Differentiated integration has since the 1970s been used as a term to mark the varied patterns of integration in Europe, often sorted in terms of temporal, territorial and sectoral differentiation. On the one hand, there is the uneven development of European policymaking across institutional spheres and policy areas, on the other, the varied capacity and pattern of change on national level. Yet, despite substantial conceptual development (e.g. multiple-speed Europe, flexible integration, Europe a la carte), there is still modest comprehensive analysis of the causes and effects of such integration patterns, not least in the knowledge domain. Recent developments concerning Modernisation agenda, EUs Sorbonne process, and Brexit raise questions about the scope and role of differentiation in the governance of the knowledge policy domain. The panel invites paper that address the multi-arena, multi-issue, multi-actor and multi-level character of knowledge governance in the European context, and the different forms of differentiation that emerge. In particular, the panel invites papers to discuss the consequences of such differentiated integration patterns and reflect whether there is in fact a crisis in the integration process in the knowledge policy area. The panel invites both papers that focus on differentiation on European level, the differentiated impact of the instruments on national and institutional level, and the relationships between the two. Themes of relevance for this panel include but are not limited to analysing: • the causes and consequences of the multi-issue nature of European knowledge governance (higher education vs research), and the multi-arena nature of Europe (EU vs Bologna) • the causes and consequences of the variety of instruments on European level (e.g. their varied legal status, ownership, legitimacy and scope), the way in which these instruments interact with each other on European level, and the consequence of this for Europe of Knowledge • the different patterns of actor participation at European level, and the effects of this on the governance architecture that has been created • the varied patterns of how specific instruments are picked up on national level (e.g. soft instruments obtaining a hard law status on national level) • the varied patterns of adaptation on institutional level, including the role of specific actors in these processes.