This thesis examines factors that underscored higher education reforms in Central and Eastern Europe during the transition period from 1990 to 2005. The study explores higher education reforms in three national settings – Hungary, Romania and the Republic of Moldova, and presents a detailed analysis of the Moldovan case. Rooted in critical approaches to development, transition reforms and policy analysis in higher education, it addresses the new realities of global capitalism, inequitable distribution of power between the industrialized nations and the rest of the world, and the ways in which this power distribution impacts higher education systems in Central and Eastern Europe. Historical analyses, a qualitative cross-national analysis of HE systems in three nations, and interviews with Moldovan higher education policymakers provided rich data on higher education reforms in the region and selected nations. Higher education evolved from institutions serving very select elite in the Middle Ages to universities driving modernization in the 19th and the first half of the 20th century, and to diverse institutional types - universities, colleges, institutes - underscoring the massification of higher education after WWII. Policies pursued by Hungarian, Romanian and Moldovan leaders to expand higher education were informed by the national socio-economic, political and demographic contexts, the dominant global development agenda, and international institutional practices. The capacity of national leaders to carry out higher education reforms was limited by the colonial and post-colonial relationships that were established over centuries between each of these nations and stronger regional powers, such as the Habsburg, Ottoman and Russian Empires, the Soviet Union, and the European Union. Major regional powers had a significant role in the formation of nation states, educational institutions and higher education politics. At the same time, national elites used language and ethnic policies to shape social and higher education developments and build national identities. By bringing an international perspective to the analysis of reforms in Central and Eastern Europe, by focusing on Hungary, Romania and Moldova, and by drawing on critical theory and post-colonial studies, this research study contributes to the international scholarly discussion of higher education and development reforms, enriches methodological developments in the field of higher education, and advances the discourse of comparative higher education.

This thesis examines factors that underscored higher education reforms in Central and Eastern Europe during the transition period from 1990 to 2005. The study explores higher education reforms in three national settings – Hungary, Romania and the Republic of Moldova, and presents a detailed analysis of the Moldovan case. Rooted in critical approaches to development, transition reforms and policy analysis in higher education, it addresses the new realities of global capitalism, inequitable distribution of power between the industrialized nations and the rest of the world, and the ways in which this power distribution impacts higher education systems in Central and Eastern Europe. Historical analyses, a qualitative cross-national analysis of HE systems in three nations, and interviews with Moldovan higher education policymakers provided rich data on higher education reforms in the region and selected nations. Higher education evolved from institutions serving very select elite in the Middle Ages to universities driving modernization in the 19th and the first half of the 20th century, and to diverse institutional types - universities, colleges, institutes - underscoring the massification of higher education after WWII. Policies pursued by Hungarian, Romanian and Moldovan leaders to expand higher education were informed by the national socio-economic, political and demographic contexts, the dominant global development agenda, and international institutional practices. The capacity of national leaders to carry out higher education reforms was limited by the colonial and post-colonial relationships that were established over centuries between each of these nations and stronger regional powers, such as the Habsburg, Ottoman and Russian Empires, the Soviet Union, and the European Union. Major regional powers had a significant role in the formation of nation states, educational institutions and higher education politics. At the same time, national elites used language and ethnic policies to shape social and higher education developments and build national identities. By bringing an international perspective to the analysis of reforms in Central and Eastern Europe, by focusing on Hungary, Romania and Moldova, and by drawing on critical theory and post-colonial studies, this research study contributes to the international scholarly discussion of higher education and development reforms, enriches methodological developments in the field of higher education, and advances the discourse of comparative higher education.

Submitted by Nadir Basilio (nadirsb@uninove.br) on 2016-11-30T16:58:42Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Luís Roberto Beserra de Paiva.pdf: 6176892 bytes, checksum: 1bbad2eba8ce7575475fed0a49b5849a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-30T16:58:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Luís Roberto Beserra de Paiva.pdf: 6176892 bytes, checksum: 1bbad2eba8ce7575475fed0a49b5849a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-30 / Higher education is , in most countries , responsible for the basic education teacher training , so the changes processed in the first are directly reflected on the whole education system to pass on the training of teachers. In education , in particular , working conditions equivalent to the teaching conditions , so in this work we understand the various levels of education as integrated and co-dependent with each other.In the late twentieth century, Latin American governments have taken the neoliberal ideology that drastically changed role of the state and public policy. Call neoliberal proposals for higher education, especially public universities, as contrarreforma since undermine the principles that guided the University Reform of Córdoba (1918) - university autonomy, university government shared by the community, gratuitousness, the public character, hiring teachers through competition - and thus causing damage to freedom of thought and knowledge production. Worsening conditions of teaching and research, which in many circumstances coincide with the working conditions, was accompanied by measures to intensified exploitation and control of the teaching activity (proliferation of precarious work, high productivity, loss of rights). Interviewed twenty-five (25) professors from four countries (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico), to report their perceptions of the processes that guided the implementation of the university contrarreforma and resistance of their professional category. We use also the material produced by dozens of unions and parassindicais we visited, as well as universities, government agencies, the World Bank, local media and literature production researchers on the university teacher unionism in each country. Systematize a description of these various tables and prepared a comparative analysis identifying common elements and distinct trajectories of university teachers union entities. / La educación superior es , en la mayoría de los países , responsables de la formación inicial docente de educación , por lo que los cambios procesados en la primera se reflejan directamente en todo el sistema educativo para transmitir la formación de profesores . En la educación , en particular , condiciones equivalentes a las condiciones de la enseñanza de trabajo , por lo que en este trabajo entendemos los distintos niveles de la educación como integrada y co - dependientes entre sí .A finales del siglo XX, los gobiernos latinoamericanos han adoptado la ideología neoliberal que cambió drásticamente el papel del Estado y las políticas públicas. Nombramos a las propuestas neoliberales para la educación superior, especialmente las universidades, públicas, como la contrarreforma ya socavar los principios que guiaron la Reforma Universitaria de Córdoba (1918) - la autonomía universitaria, el gobierno universitario compartido por la comunidad, la gratuidad, el carácter público, la contratación de profesores a través del concurso - y causando así daños a la libertad de pensamiento y la producción de conocimiento. Empeoramiento de las condiciones de enseñanza y de investigación, que en muchos casos coinciden con las condiciones de trabajo, fue acompañada de medidas para la intensificación de la explotación y el control de la actividad docente (proliferación del trabajo precario, alta productividad, pérdida de derechos). Hemos entrevistado a veinticinco (25) profesores de cuatro países (Argentina, Brasil, Colombia y México), para informar de sus percepciones de los procesos que guían la aplicación de la contrarreforma universitaria y la resistencia de su categoría profesional. Utilizamos también el material producido por decenas de sindicatos y organizaciones parassindicais que visitamos, así como universidades, agencias gubernamentales, el Banco Mundial, los medios de comunicación locales y la producción de investigadores de la literatura sobre el sindicalismo docente universitario en cada país. Hemos sistematizado una descripción destos diversos cuadros y un análisis comparativo para identificar elementos comunes y distintos de las trayectorias y peleas de los sindicatos de profesores universitarios. / O ensino superior é, na maior parte dos países, responsável pela formação dos professores da educação básica, assim, as transformações processadas no primeiro se refletem diretamente sobre todo sistema de ensino por meio da formação dos professores. Na educação, mormente, as condições de trabalho equivalem às condições de ensino, portanto, neste trabalho entendemos os diversos níveis de ensino como integrados e codependentes entre si. No final do século XX, os governos latino-americanos assumiram o ideário neoliberal que alterou drasticamente papel do Estado e as políticas públicas. Denominamos as propostas neoliberais para o ensino superior, em especial para as universidades públicas, como contrarreforma, uma vez que atentam contra os princípios que nortearam a Reforma Universitária de Córdoba (1918) – autonomia universitária, governo universitário compartilhado pela comunidade, gratuidade, caráter público, contratação de docentes via concurso – e assim ocasionando prejuízos à liberdade de pensamento e produção de conhecimentos. O agravamento das condições de ensino e pesquisa, que em muitas circunstâncias coincidem com as condições de trabalho, veio acompanhado por medidas que intensificaram a exploração e o controle da atividade docente (proliferação do trabalho precário, produtivismo, perda de direitos). Entrevistamos vinte e cinco (25) professores universitários de quatro países (Argentina, Brasil, Colômbia e México), para relatar suas percepções sobre os processos que pautaram a implementação da contrarreforma universitária e a resistência de suas categorias profissionais. Recorremos ainda ao material produzido por dezenas de entidades sindicais e parassindicais que visitamos, bem como de instituições universitárias, órgãos governamentais, Banco Mundial, mídia local e a produção bibliográfica de pesquisadores sobre o sindicalismo docente universitário de cada país. Sistematizamos uma descrição desses diversos quadros e elaboramos uma análise comparativa identificando elementos comuns e distintos das trajetórias e embates das entidades sindicais docentes universitárias.