Italian Higher Education Reform

Abstract

In 2010, Italy’s higher education system was subjected to a reform agenda, which was intended to address major systemic problems that impacted on the quality of research and teaching. At issue is whether Italy, as a result of the Reform is, or will become, a significant international player in global higher education. This paper will describe the most recent developments in several indicators of higher education system health, the nature of some of the apparent systemic problems, and important elements of the reform agenda designed to address these issues. The paper then concludes by addressing the key question of Italy’s future role in international higher education.