Il tema di fondo su cui si confronta la ricerca è l'esistenza di relazioni complesse - dirette e indirette, esplicite ed implicite - tra i diversi livelli di governance dell'istruzione superiore in grado di esercitare una crescente pressione sui sistemi nazionali e sulle singole università sino a modificarne le priorità. Più nel dettaglio la ricerca indaga il rapporto tra i modelli competitivi veicolati dagli organismi internazionali, nello specifico dall'Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development - OECD, e il modo con cui ciascun ateneo interpreta i propri obiettivi di formazione - nel quadro dei vincoli e delle opportunità del sistema d'istruzione superiore italiano. L'assunto di base è che tra l'OECD e il management degli atenei ci siano delle connessioni che sono la risultante di due tendenze complementari: da una parte l'influsso dell'Organizzazione sulle politiche nazionali, locali e degli atenei; dall'altra la propensione di questi ultimi ad avvalersi, in maniera differenziata, degli studi e delle analisi statistiche e comparative prodotte dall'OECD per interpretare i fenomeni globali della higher education e supportare le proprie strategie di intervento. / The research focus upon the existence of complex relationships - both direct and indirect, explicit and implicit - between different levels of higher education governance that can exert increasing pressure on national systems and universities up to changing their priorities. In further detail, the research investigates the relationship between competitive models promoted by international bodies, specifically by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development - OECD, and the way in which each university interprets its strategic goals - in the framework of the constraints and opportunities of the Italian higher education system. It is assumed that between the OECD and the university management there are some connections resulting from two complementary trends. The first one refers to the influence of the Organization on national policies and local universities; the second one regards to the use by the university management of the OECD's comparative studies and statistical analysis to interpret the global higher education phenomena and support their intervention strategies.

This study examines the perceptions and operational assumptions of university representatives with regard to the new higher education policy-making in Kurdistan. It attempts to explore the development and implementation of the policy’s first priority, the aim to bridge the gap between quality and quantity in higher education. A mixed-methods case study research is employed by applying qualitative methods in a series of interviews carried out with nine faculty members from a University in the Kurdistan Region. The interviews were followed by a survey of a representative sample of 305 faculty members from all faculties of the university, with responses from 148. Both research methods explored the implementation of quality assurance initiatives under the quality teaching reforms. The aim is to identify what type of quality culture in higher education is being encouraged and if it will enable higher education to serve as a bridge for Kurdistan to the global knowledge economy.

This study examines the perceptions and operational assumptions of university representatives with regard to the new higher education policy-making in Kurdistan. It attempts to explore the development and implementation of the policy’s first priority, the aim to bridge the gap between quality and quantity in higher education. A mixed-methods case study research is employed by applying qualitative methods in a series of interviews carried out with nine faculty members from a University in the Kurdistan Region. The interviews were followed by a survey of a representative sample of 305 faculty members from all faculties of the university, with responses from 148. Both research methods explored the implementation of quality assurance initiatives under the quality teaching reforms. The aim is to identify what type of quality culture in higher education is being encouraged and if it will enable higher education to serve as a bridge for Kurdistan to the global knowledge economy.