Journal of Advances in Education Research

Download PDF (623.6 KB) PP. 1 - 11 Pub. Date: February 21, 2017

DOI: 10.22606/jaer.2017.21001

• Georgios Stamelos^*
  Department of Education, University of Patras, Greece
• Georgios Aggelopoulos
  Department of Education, University of Patras, Greece

This paper negotiates interdisciplinarity as a tool of European policy transfer. As a case study, it focuses on the master programs in the Greek University. Policy transfer theory is used as an analytical tool for exploring the results of research on interdisciplinary master programs funded by the European support framework for Greece. We try to focus on the role of policy makers on a national level and on the key actors on the local level (university). We argue that the policy makers create the necessary conditions by modifications to the legislative framework. The University and its key-actors have adopted interdisciplinarity as a supplementary institutional funding and with care so as not to disturb the internal institutional structure and its power relations. So, as Dolowitz & Marsh argue we observe hybrid construction for interdisciplinary master programs. This point is converse with Bomberg and Peterson's reasoning that «policy transfer does not occur by chance, but often produces unintended results».

University, masters, interdisciplinarity, policy transfer, Greece.

[1] S. Apostoli (2006), “The Master Programs in Greek Universities, 2006”. Athens: ELIAMEP, Available: http://www.eliamep.gr/wpcontent/uploads/2008/07/metaptyxiaka_ch22.pdf .

[2] A. Battory and N. Lindstrom (2011), “The Power of the Purse: Supranational Entrepreneurship, Financial Incentives and European Higher Education Policy”, Governance, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 311-332.

[3] D. Benson and A. Jordan (2011), “What have we learned from policy transfer research? Dolowitz and Marsh revised”, Political studies review, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 366-378.

[4] E. Bomberg and J. Peterson (2000), “Policy Transfer and Europeanization: Passing the Heineken Test? Queen's Papers on Europeanization” , Available: https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofPoliticsInternationalStudiesandPhilosophy/FileStore/EuropeanisationFiles/Filetoupload,38445,en.pdf .

[5] S. Bulmer and A. Padgett (2004), “Policy Transfer in the European Union: An Institutionalist Perspective”, British Journal of Political Science, vol. 35, pp. 103-126.

[6] H. Canary (2010), “Structuring Activity Theory: An Integrative Approach to Policy Knowledge”, Communication Theory, vol. 20, pp. 21-49.

[7] D. Dolowitz and D. Marsh (1996), “Who learns from whom: a review of the policy transfer literature”, Political Studues, vol. 44, no. 2, pp. 343-357.

[8] D. Dolowitz and D. Marsh (2000), “Learning from Abroad: The Role of Policy Transfer in Contemporary PolicyMaking”, Governance: An International Journal of Policy and Administration, vol. 13, no.1, pp. 5-24.

[9] J. T. Klein (1990), “ Interdisciplinarity, History, Theory & Practice”, Michigan: University Press.

[10] T. Kuhn (1981), “The structure of scientific revolutions”. Introduction-translation, V. Kalfas. Thessaloniki: Modern Issues.

[11] J. Meyer and B. Rowan (1977), “Institutionalized Organizations: Formal Structure as Myth and Ceremony”,Αmerican Journal of Sociology, vol. 83, no. 2, pp. 340-363.

[12] K. Mouwen (2000), “Strategy, Structure and Culture of the Hybrid University: towards the University of the 21st Century”, Tertiary Education and Management, vol. 6, pp. 47-56.

[13] R.A.W. Rhodes (1986), “Power-dependence” theories of central-local relations: a critical assessment, 1-33, in Goldsmith M.J. (ed), New research in central-local relations. Aldershot: Gower, pp. 1-33.

[14] N. Ryan (1986), “Unravelling Conceptual Developments in Implementation Analysis”, Australian Journal of Public Administration, vol. 54, no. 1, pp. 65-80.

[15] P. Sabatier (1986), “Top- Down and Bottom-Up Approaches to Implementation Research: a Critical Analysis and Suggested Synthesis”, Journal of Public Policy, vol. 6, no.1, pp. 21-48.

[16] P. Sabatier (2005), “From policy implementation to policy change: A personal Odyssey., in by ?. Gornitzka, M.Kogan and A. Amaral (eds) Reform and Change in Higher Education: Analysing Policy Implementation, editing,Netherlands: Springer, pp.17-34.