The Idea of the University Reshaped by the Bologna Process

For more than two centuries people have discussed the “idea” of a university. This concept has been continuously reshaped and adapted to fit the needs of various ruling classes or individuals. It is our purpose in this essay to clarify some of the terms associated with the ideal of the university, to explore its status as it has been shaped by this process, and to attempt to start identifying the present-day embodiment of the traditional idea of the university. Starting from traditional ideas of the university, expressed in the 19^th and 20^th centuries, the present essay explores the changes incurred by the idea of the university in the 21^st century as a result of the decade-long Bologna Process. It argues that the new fundamental concept that characterizes the institutions of higher education is the “university in relationship” in its various embodiments. Though this new context lacks at the present time a well-defined ideal, we argue that one such ideal could be constructed on the basis of the common changes brought about by the Bologna Process, regardless of all the criticism generated by it.