Paper presentado al Seminario de Bistriza, Bulgaria, en junio 1999. Es producto del trabajo del autor como consultor del Banco Mundial pero sólo compromete sus propias opiniones y análsis.
Palabras calves: coordination, quality assurance, financing, reform
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Bulgaria’s higher education (HE) system is undergoing rapid and profound changes. It is moving from a model of centralized–political and bureaucratic—coordination to a model that is still undefined, in flux, but seeks to combine planning and market coordination. Presently, these two opposing strategies coexist side by side.
On the stronger side, deeply entrenched traditional regulatory attitudes prevail. Detailed but ineffective planning and control is the rule. On the weaker side, more open attitudes toward the changing HE context can be found, including a move towards self-regulation, self-evaluation and market demands.
This study suggests that a coherent policy framework must be worked out in order to bring the hitherto two conflicting approaches into closer alignment. Regulations and control alone are of little use; what counts are the policy objectives (including planning elements) and the appropriate incentives to move the system in the direction of desired goals. Also some immediate actions are suggested in order to meet the necessary conditions for a new strategy. These relate to a
way of organizing a policy formulation process; to capacity building for strategic planning, system and information management; to further development of a quality assurance system based on internal and external evaluation, and to improving teaching and learning quality in a more competitive context.