Curriculum trends in european higher education: The pursuit of the humboldtian university ideas

Abstract

In this chapter we focus on how the restructuring of European higher education is manifested in curriculum policies with particular interest in the consequences for universities. By critically analyzing some core European higher education policy documents, we discuss how initiatives taken by the European Union (EU) and the Bologna Process may influence universities and challenge the Humboldtian ideas traditionally defining most European research-oriented universities. We concentrate the analysis and discussion on implications for educational purposes, educational knowledge and the notion of students. The analysis shows that the new architecture of European higher education implies new models of management and governance which implies new forms of controlling institutional processes of curriculum making. The new policy stands in sharp contrast to the ideas and principles of the Humboldtian tradition. As a consequence, and despite the fact that we need more empirical evidence, there are strong indications that universities move towards stronger entrepreneurial ideas and a utilitarian ethos defined by the employment market. This new orientation has consequences for staff and student formation, notions of academic freedom, priorities in curriculum development and teaching-learning. Our analysis suggests that current academics need to be more aware of the implications of current policy and critically discuss what we mean by academic freedom and which values worth fighting for under current circumstances – particularly with regards to the relationship between educational purposes, content and students.