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The article examines the deliberation of
higher education (HE) scholars and practitioners on
research issues in the HE field, which has taken into
account the complexity of current trends of deglobalisation and changing characteristics of globalisation.
More precisely, the article offers a systematic review of
the ideas developed by focus group participants (FGPs)
from different parts of the world while debating internationalisation, globalisation and Europeanisation
with respect to the field of HE. These FGPs agreed that:
1) theoretical definitions used by academics and practitioners are currently socially constructed in a biased
way (in favour of the Anglo-North American point of
view); 2) academic research (notably conceptual definitions) must better take into account the issues contextually and dynamically across time and space; and
3) that HE research is in the stage when a more theoretically refined and a methodologically stronger new
global wave of empirical research is required for further
advancement of theorising and practitioners' work.
Keywords: higher education, methods, theory, definitions, globalisation, internationalisation, Europeanisation

Abstract. In this article we present findings from focus
groups (FGs) consisting of academics and practitioners in
the higher education (HE) field from different parts of the
world, who debated their perceptions of the current state
of the art in the HE field. The main findings, which call for
further research, as well as activities of academics, practitioners
and policymakers at various levels, are as follows: 1)
there is a gap between basic academic research and applied
research (with the latter often not meeting the appropriate
conceptual level), which needs to be closed; 2) this gap is
expressed also in the global context of the HE field; 3) multidisciplinarity,
interdisciplinarity, transdisciplinarity, methodological
quality of both basic and applied research need
to be developed and 4) scholars', practitioners' and governments'
(policymakers') responsibilities need to be addressed.
Keywords: higher education (HE), research, academics,
practitioners, government, policy

Predmet magistrskega dela se nanaša na analizo stanja internacionalizacije visokega šolstva v Sloveniji in postopke vpisa tujih študentov oziroma procesne ovire pri vpisovanju tujcev iz tretjih držav (npr. vpisni roki, presoja dokazil ali (ne)sodelovanje med organi). Ključne ugotovitve na podlagi kvantitativnih metod, kjer sem analizirala javne statistične podatke, in kvalitativnih metod z analizo zakonodaje in s polstrukturiranimi intervjuji, so, da obstaja dokaj velika nekompatibilnost postopkov med univerzami, Ministrstvom za zunanje zadeve v povezavi z upravnimi enotami ter Ministrstvom za izobraževanje, znanost in šport in pri pridobivanju dovoljenj za začasno prebivanje v času študija pri tujcih iz tretjih držav. Opravljena je bila tudi mednarodna primerjava s Finsko, ki kaže visoko ciljno usmerjenost v internacionalizacijo in je enako kot Slovenija članica EU. Skozi raziskavo so bile potrjene podane izhodiščne hipoteze. Internacionalizacija za vse deležnike prinaša koristi. Toda rokovnik vpisnih opravil šolskega ministrstva in univerz, npr. Univerze v Mariboru, ni prilagojen tujcem iz tretjih držav. Tudi domet smiselne rabe Zakona o splošnem upravnem postopku v visokem šolstvu ni jasen. Posledica teh pojavov so predolgi postopki in dejanski prihod študentov v Slovenijo šele sredi študijskega obdobja, kar otežuje konkurenčnost slovenskih univerz. Normativni okvir vpisa tujih študentov in še bolj njegovo (ne)izvajanje pri nas tako nista povsem usklajena s cilji internacionalizacije visokega šolstva, kar potrjuje tudi bolj učinkovit sistem istovrstnih postopkov na Finskem. Rezultati magistrskega dela pa so prikazali pozitivne zglede in smeri razvoja, s katerimi bi lahko Slovenija v bodoče regulirala in izvajala vpise tujcev iz tretjih držav. ; The subject of this master's thesis deals with the analysis of the internationalization of higher education in Slovenia and the procedures for enrolment of foreign students or the procedural barriers in regard to the enrolment of candidates from the third world countries, (e. g. enrolment deadlines, assessment of certificates or (non) cooperation between authorities). The key findings, based on quantitative methods employing the analysis of public statistics data, and qualitative methods employing legislation analysis and semi-structured interviews, are that for foreigners from the third world countries there is a rather high incompatibility of procedures between universities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in relation to administrative units and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport in regard of obtaining temporary residence permits while studying. The research, further on, includes an international comparison with Finland, which is highly goal oriented towards internationalization and is the same as Slovenia member state of the European Union. Through the research, the baseline hypotheses were confirmed. Internationalization brings benefits for all stakeholders. But the schedule of enrolment tasks of the school ministry and universities, e.g. the University of Maribor is not suitable for foreigners from the third world countries. Also, the scope of meaningful use of the General Administrative Procedure Act in higher education is not clear. These phenomena result in lengthy procedures and the actual arrival of students to Slovenia only in the middle of the study period, which consequently hinders the competitiveness of Slovenian universities. The normative framework of enrolment of foreign students and, even more so, its (non) implementation in Slovenia are, thus, not completely in line with the goals of internationalization of higher education, which also confirms a more efficient system of similar procedures in Finland. The results of the master's thesis showed positive examples and directions of development, with which Slovenia could regulate and implement the enrolment of foreigners from the third world countries in the future.

Z začetkom bolonjskega procesa v letu 1999, ki sloni na ideji o enotnem, primerljivem, privlačnem in konkurenčnem prostoru evropskega visokega šolstva, se je za sodelujoče evropske države pričelo obdobje sprememb. Med njimi je bila tudi Slovenija, ki je postopoma sledila in uvajala cilje in načela bolonjskega procesa v slovenski visokošolski prostor. V magistrskem delu natančneje predstavim bolonjsko reformo in z njo vnesene številne spremembe ter novosti v slovenski visokošolski prostor. Skozi analizo različne literature in dokumentov je sprva predstavljen nastanek bolonjskega procesa in njegov razvoj s poudarkom na ciljih, ki so se v okviru reforme skušali doseči. Opisan je njegov razvoj od začetka do danes, saj so se od podpisa Bolonjske deklaracije dalje odvijala srečanja ministrov za visoko šolstvo, kjer se je spremljalo uresničevanje zastavljenih ciljev, ki so se skozi leta tudi dopolnjevali in spreminjali. V drugem delu naloge pa se skozi razvoj bolonjskega procesa večji del pozornosti usmeri v uveljavljanje slednjega v slovenski visokošolski prostor. Prikazane so številne novosti, ki zajemajo tako sistemske, strukturne kot organizacijske spremembe in so vplivale na sam potek izobraževanja v visokem šolstvu. Z bolonjsko reformo se v visokem šolstvu vse bolj uveljavlja koncept vseživljenjskega učenja, zato se v tretjem delu naloge prikaže, kako se to odraža skozi različne dokumente bolonjskega procesa. Vključitev Slovenije v bolonjski proces in postopno uveljavljanje bolonjske reforme pa se je odražalo tudi v samih ciljih razvoja visokega šolstva pri nas, zato se v tretjem delu naloge osredotočim še se na spreminjanje ciljev od začetka bolonjske reforme vse do danes. Bolj kot se bolonjska reforma v prostoru uveljavlja, bolj vidne so spremembe v slovenskem visokošolskem prostoru in sledenje evropski viziji v razvoju in usmerjenosti visokega šolstva ; In 1999, the Bologna process started with an idea of a united, comparable, attractive, and competitive place in the European higher education system. Among the countries that have joined was also Slovenia, which gradually followed and introduced the goals and principles of the Bologna system into the Slovenian higher education area, which had a notable impact on education. Through the analysis of various literature and documents, the text initially shows the very origin of the Bologna process, its purpose and goals, which were sought to be achieved through the process. The text also describes the development from the beginning to the present, as through the years of bologna process many meetings of ministers of higher education have taken place. There, the development of the Bologna reform has been monitored and at the same time, many novelties/innovations have been added that are important for our understanding of the Bologna process. In the second part, through the development of the Bologna Process, most of the attention is focused on the implementation of the Bologna reform in the Slovenian higher education area, where its impact on education is also explored. Numerous novelties and changes – from systemic, structural, and organizational, which influenced the course of education, are presented. There are also various documents as part of the Bologna reform, where the concept of lifelong learning in higher education is mentioned and the role and importance of it are increasingly emphasized. Slovenia's inclusion into the Bologna Process and the gradual implementation of the reform was also reflected in the goals of higher education development. This is why the third part of the thesis is focused on how the goals changed from the beginning of the reform until today. The more the Bologna reform is implemented in the place, the more visible its impact on the goals of the Slovenian higher education is, and with that following the European vision and the orientation of higher education.

Uradniški svet je samostojen in neodvisen organ, ki je bil ustanovljen z namenom depolitizacije državne uprave. Člani Uradniškega sveta določijo standarde in normative ter merila za izbiro kandidatov, ki se prijavijo za položaj najvišjih javnih uslužbencev. Kadar slišimo pojem politizacije se nam takoj ustvari nekakšna slika kako politika skozi politično kadrovanje poskuša vplivati na delovanje državne uprave in tako uveljaviti svoje interese in cilje. Politizacija ni nov pojav in tudi ne redek, z njo se srečujemo vsak dan in na vseh nivojih upravljanja (lokalnem, nacionalnem in nadnacionalnem). Avtor zaključnega dela raziskuje spolitiziranost Uradniškega sveta, cilj naloge pa je kako in na kakšen način se odraža spolitiziranost Uradniškega sveta in kako le ta vpliva na imenovanje najvišjih javnih uslužbencev v Sloveniji. Na podlagi vprašalnika, intervjujev ter analize dela je avtor prišel do ugotovitev, da lahko zasledimo obrise spolitiziranosti Uradniškega sveta. Bolj kot spolitiziranost Uradniškega sveta pa se kaže kako in na kakšen način poskuša politika imenovati najvišje javne uslužbence. ; Officials Council is body outside the government and was established to depoliticize administration in Slovenia. Members of Officials Council set standards, norms and criteria for the selection of candidates for the position of senior civil servants. When we hear the notion politicization, we immediately think how politics try to influence and enforce their interest threw a form of political recruitment in administration. Politicization is not a new phenomenom and it is not uncommon. We can find politicization at every level of governance (local, national and even transnational). The author researches the politicization of the Officials Council. In particular, he is interested in how and in what way the politicization of the Officials Council is reflected and how it affects the appointment of the highest civil servants in Slovenia. Through in-depth interviews, questionnaire and analysis of the work of Officials Council the author found out that we can see politicization of the Officials Council, but more than that we can see how politics try to affect on appointing the high-ranking civil servants.

V magistrskem delu obravnavamo različne politike internacionalizacije visokega šolstva v Sloveniji in na Nizozemskem. Glavni temelj naloge predstavlja analiza in primerjava strateških dokumentov internacionalizacije visokega šolstva obeh izbranih držav. V teoretičnem delu izpostavimo internacionalizacijo v zgodovinski perspektivi. Na kratko opišemo družbenoekonomski kontekst razvoja nizozemskih univerz ter obravnavamo nastanek in razvoj slovenskih in nizozemskih univerz. Osredotočimo se na njihovo poslanstvo ter z njim povezanim položajem jezika v raziskovalni in pedagoški dejavnosti. Opredelimo tudi termin internacionalizacije in navedemo različne definicije. Nato predstavimo oblike internacionalizacije: internacionalizacijo doma, internacionalizacijo kurikuluma ter internacionalizacijo v tujini. V okviru razvoja bolonjskega procesa predstavimo nastanek evropske gospodarske skupnosti, začetke samega procesa ter kritiko njegove neoliberalne zasnove. Raziščemo tudi zelo relevantno temo – transfer izobraževalnih politik. Zaključimo s predstavitvijo jezikovne problematike, to je vedno večja vloga angleščine v pedagoškem in raziskovalnem visokošolskem prostoru ter položaj nacionalnih jezikov. V okviru empiričnega dela najprej ugotavljamo podobnosti in razlike med nacionalnimi politikami internacionalizacije visokega šolstva v Sloveniji in na Nizozemskem ter med politikami na institucionalni ravni – opravimo torej primerjavo Univerze v Ljubljani in Univerze v Amsterdamu. Analiza nacionalnih strateških dokumentov dokazuje, da tako slovensko kot nizozemsko visoko šolstvo sledi podobnim ciljem internacionalizacije. Kot prvo bistveno razliko pa lahko izpostavimo težnjo Nizozemske po povezovanju visokošolskih institucij z gospodarstvom in posledično prevlado gospodarskih motivov za internacionalizacijo. Nasprotno pa internacionalizacijo slovenskega visokega šolstva usmerjajo predvsem politični motivi, saj želi država utrditi prepoznavno podobo nacionalnega visokega šolstva. S tem pa je povezana tudi druga pomembna razlika. V nizozemskih strateških dokumentih je poudarjena namera po konkurenčnosti in prepoznavnosti države na globalni ravni, medtem ko je v slovenskih strateških dokumentih v ospredju potreba po vzpostavitvi regionalne identitete. Nizozemska se torej usmerja v bolj globalno internacionalizacijo, Slovenija pa v regionalno. Državi sta si podobni v tem, da vidita internacionalizacijo kot poglavitni dejavnik pri razvoju svojega visokega šolstva, ki rezultira v izboljšanje njegove kakovosti. Analiza politike internacionalizacije dveh osrednjih univerz v obeh država pokaže, da je zaradi statusa mednarodne in dvojezične univerze Univerze v Amsterdamu internacionalizacija njena ključna značilnost, medtem ko je ljubljanska univerza pri svoji internacionalizaciji dokaj omejena. Zaradi svoje izrazite mednarodne usmerjenosti Univerza v Amsterdamu izvaja pouk v t. i. mednarodni predavalnici. Nizozemska in njene univerze so že – gledano z zgodovinske perspektive – veliko bolj mednarodno odprte. Slednje pa je prispevalo k temu, da Nizozemska spada med najbogatejše države na svetu. Prednost bogatih držav pa niso le zadostna finančna sredstva za implementacijo optimalne internacionalizacije, ampak tudi »privilegij« postavljanja trendov na področju internacionalizacije. Preučujemo tudi medsebojno skladnost strateških dokumentov v posamezni državi ter način odražaja ciljev bolonjskega procesa v ciljih strateških dokumentov. Ugotovimo, da je v nizozemskih strateških dokumentih v primerjavi s slovenskimi prisotno bistveno večje ujemanje v ključnih oziroma prioritetnih ciljih, kar je mogoče pripisati aktivni vključenosti nizozemskih univerz pri oblikovaju politik. Bolonjski cilji so izraženi v obeh državnih in obeh institucionalnih strategijah internacionalizacije. Izpostavili bi cilj pospeševanja mobilnosti, ki se pojavi v vseh štirih strategijah. Na koncu raziskujemo, kako državi urejata oziroma rešujeta vprašanje jezika visokega šolstva. Ugotovili smo, da v obeh državah zakona, ki urejata področje visokega šolstva, izpostavljata skrb za materinščino. Ta naloga spada v okvir visokošolskih zavodov. Univerza v Amsterdamu ima – za razliko od Univerze v Ljubljani – oblikovano svojo jezikovno strategijo, v kateri je pojasnjeno, na kakšen način se izbere oziroma določi jezik poučevanja, s čimer je odločitev o jeziku poučevanja olajšana. Kot je pokazala primerjava različnih dokumentov s področja visokega šolstva in strategij, je današnja internacionalizacija v različnih državah pod vplivom tako sodobnih procesov, konkretneje bolonjskega procesa, kot tudi različnih zgodovinskih dejavnikov oziroma okoliščin. Enake politike internacionalizacije se torej v različnih okoljih implementirajo različno. S tem tudi potrjujemo ugotovitev de Wita in F. Hunter (2015, str. 2), da ni modela internacionalizacije, ki bi ustrezal vsem. ; Internationalisation of Higher Education in Slovenia and the Netherlands After the Implementation of the Bologna Process In this thesis, we discuss the different internationalisation policies of higher education in Slovenia and the Netherlands. Analysing and comparing the strategic documents about the internationalisation of higher education in the chosen countries is the basis of the following thesis. In the theoretical part, we put internationalisation in a historical perspective. We concisely describe the socioeconomic context of the development of Dutch universities and analyse the origins and development of Slovene and Dutch universities. Furthermore, we focus on the mission of universities and their related position of language in research and teaching. We also define internationalisation and present its different definitions. Additionally, we introduce the forms of internationalisation: internationalisation at home, internationalisation of the curriculum, and internationalisation abroad. In the context of the development of the Bologna Process, we present the emergence of the European Economic Community, the beginnings of the process itself, and a critique of its neo-liberal concept. Moreover, we also explore the transfer of educational policies. We conclude by presenting the language issues, i.e., the growing role of English in teaching and research in higher education, and the position of national languages. In the empirical part, we first identify similarities and differences between national policies on the internationalisation of higher education in Slovenia and the Netherlands. Then we examine the policies at the institutional level by comparing the University of Ljubljana and the University of Amsterdam. Analysis of national strategy documents shows that both Slovenian and Dutch higher education pursue similar internationalisation objectives. However, the first significant difference is the Dutch tendency to connect higher education institutions with the economy. Consequently, economic motives for internationalisation prevail. In contrast, the internationalisation of Slovenian higher education is driven primarily by political motives, as the country wants to consolidate a recognisable national higher education. Nonetheless, there is another important difference. The Dutch strategy documents emphasise the intention to make the country competitive and visible on a global level, while the Slovenian strategy documents focus on the need to establish a regional identity. The Netherlands is therefore moving towards a more global internationalisation, whereas Slovenia moves towards a regional one. At the same time, they both perceive internationalisation as the crucial factor in developing higher education. Particularly, in the context of increasing its quality. The two countries are similar in the way they see internationalisation – as the major factor in the development of their higher education and as means to enhance its quality. An analysis of the internationalisation policies of the two central universities in both countries shows that, due to its status as an international and bilingual university, internationalisation is a leading feature of the University of Amsterdam. On the contrary, the University of Ljubljana is somewhat limited in its internationalisation. Due to its strong international orientation, the University of Amsterdam holds its classes in a so-called "international classroom." Historically viewed, The Netherlands and its universities have been much more internationally opened. This has contributed to the Netherlands being one of the wealthiest countries in the world. The advantage of rich countries is not only having sufficient financial resources to implement optimal internationalisation, but also the "privilege" of setting trends in the area of internationalisation. We also look at the coherence between the strategic documents in each country and how the objectives of the Bologna Process are reflected in the objectives of the strategic documents. We have found out that there is a significantly higher congruence in the key objectives in the Dutch strategic document compared to the Slovenian ones. The reason for that could be the active involvement of Dutch universities in policymaking. The Bologna objectives are reflected in both national and both institutional internationalisation strategies. We aim to highlight the objective of promoting mobility, which appears in all four strategies. Lastly, we explore the way of how countries are addressing the issue of the language of higher education. We have discovered that the laws governing higher education emphasise care for the mother tongue in both countries. The University of Amsterdam has constructed a language strategy that explains how the instruction language is chosen and determined. By doing so, the decision for the instruction language is less complicated. At the moment, the University of Ljubljana still does not have the same approach. By comparing different higher education documents and strategies, we have shown that contemporary changes (specifically the Bologna Process) and various historical factors have influenced internationalisation today. The same internationalisation policies are therefore implemented differently in various contexts. This also confirms the observation made by de Wit and F. Hunter (2015, p. 2) that there is "no one model that fits all".

V magistrski nalogi sem obravnavala problematiko prenove visokošolskih sistemov v evropskem prostoru, ki jo je sprožil bolonjski proces z namenom doseči večjo primerljivost med dotlej zelo različnimi nacionalnimi visokošolskimi sistemi. Bolonjski proces je oznaka za proces vzpostavitve skupnega evropskega visokošolskega prostora, katerega namen je zagotoviti večjo učinkovitost in konkurenčnost evropskih visokošolskih sistemov, pospeševati mobilnost študentov in akademskega osebja ter spodbujati zaposlovanje evropskega prebivalstva. Ker pa dokumenti bolonjskega procesa niso pravno obvezujoči in ne določajo jasnega načina in metod implementacije bolonjske reforme, se je vsaka država prenove svojih visokošolskih sistemov lotila drugače. Posledica tega so velike razlike pri uspešnosti izvedbe reforme, kar Evropo oddaljuje od zastavljenih ciljev. V nalogi sem predstavila tudi potek slovenske implementacije bolonjske reforme in nekaj napak, za katere menim, da so odločilno prispevale k njenemu neuspehu. Eden izmed glavnih razlogov za neuspeh reforme pri nas (in v številnih drugih državah) je tudi finančna izčrpanost visokega šolstva, ki se v Sloveniji v zadnjih letih še zaostruje, saj država vsako leto visokemu šolstvu nameni manj proračunskih sredstev. Nekaj besed sem namenila tudi razmisleku o možnosti uvedbe šolnin, ki se v javnosti občasno predlaga kot ena izmed možnih dopolnitev (nezadostnemu) javnemu financiranju visokega šolstva. ; This master's thesis focuses on the issue of reforming higher education systems in Europe, brought on by the Bologna Process with the intention of achieving a higher level of comparability among previously vastly different national education systems. The Bologna Process is a process of establishing a common European higher education system, the aim of which is to ensure greater efficiency and competitiveness among European higher education systems, encourage the mobility of students and academic staff and promote employment of Europeans. Given, however, that the documents of the Bologna Process are not legally binding and do not determine a clear system and implementation methods of the Bologna reform, each country took a different approach to reforming their higher education systems. The consequences are big differences in success in terms of the implementation of the reform, which diverges Europe from its objective. The thesis presents the course of the Slovene implementation of the Bologna reform and some of the mistakes that have most likely contributed decisively to its failure. One of the main reasons for the reform's failure in Slovenia (and several other countries) is the exhausted financial resources of the higher education system. This is getting progressively worse in Slovenia due to the country cutting budget allocations for the higher education system every year. Some thought is also given to the possibility of implementing tuitions, a solution presented in public as one of the possible supplements to the (insufficient) public funding of the higher education system.