Italy: Local Policy Legacy and Moving to an ‘In Between’ Configuration

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to highlight the transformation of the relationship between state and university in Italy following the introduction of autonomy-accountability principles for university governance. The questions addressed include: how can we interpret the changes in state and university relations in Italy?, or, in other words, what kind of governance model emerged from the reform? Did government policies aimed at reforming the university system break down the existing system of values, norms and practices?, or did they result in slow adaptations to the new environment? (March and Olsen, 1989) Regarding university governance mechanisms, did the policy's legacy constrain reform of the Italian Higher Education system?.