Abstract
Focusing on the French higher education and research (HER) system, this chapter explores the aims of the reforms introduced over the last 35 years and how much they have contributed to the forming of national elites. It accounts for the new organizational and governance tools introduced during the two reform phases (incremental phase and radical phase). These reforms attempt to overcome two divides: between the prestigious grandes écoles (elite colleges) and more accessible universities, and between teaching and research. This chapter explores the extent to which the aims of simplification, diversification, concentration, stratification, and territorialization of the HER system have been achieved through formal rule changes and incentives for ‘excellence’ with a view to aligning French HER with international norms.
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Notes
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Two other bodies were abandoned soon after their creation and were merged with other institutions: the Haut Conseil de la Science et de la Technologie (High Council for Science and Technology) and the Agence d’Innovation industrielle (Industrial Innovation Council).
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Paradeise, C. (2018). How Effective Have Reform Policies Been in Redesigning the French Higher Education and Research System?. In: Bloch, R., Mitterle, A., Paradeise, C., Peter, T. (eds) Universities and the Production of Elites. Palgrave Studies in Global Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53970-6_5
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