Raising the Summit or Flattening the Agora? The Elitist Turn in Science and Higher Education Policy in Northern Europe

Co-author: Lars Geschwind (larsges@kth.se) This paper takes stock of the effects, at the national policy-level in Norway and Sweden, of one hegemonic idea – excellence – with significant impacts on science and higher education policy. Building on key neo-institutionalist concepts, the paper assesses how excellence was ‘locally translated’ by policy makers, leading to the rise of a series of policy measures such as long-term strategic funding and the establishment of Centers of Excellence schemes. In so doing, we trace the mechanisms that have led to the rise, diffusion, institutionalization and consequent legitimization of such structural arrangements, as well as the effects that such measures have had as regards: a) institutional profiling; b) system diversity; and c) changes in the normative ethos of institutions. Norway and Sweden are two interesting cases due to similarities in policy approaches, but also given variations when it comes to the translation of 'global receipts'.