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Rad obrađuje neke od pozitivnih i negativnih aspekata Bolonjskog procesa pri čemu je istraživački akcenat stavljen na koncept sreće kod studenata. Kvantitativnom analizom sadržaja deset dokumenata koje su rezultat ministarskih konferencija za visoko obrazovanje u razdoblju od 2001. do 2020. godine ustvrdili smo kako Bolonjska reforma ne posvećuje izričit i direktan interes za koncept sreće i dobrobiti studenata. Štoviše, pojmovi sreća, sreća studen(a)ta i dobrobit studen(a)ta ne spominju se ni u jednom od tih dokumenata. Potrebito je da visokoobrazovne institucije omoguće studentima stjecanje profesionalnih i stručnih kompetencija i prikladno osposobljavanje za tržište rada, ali i da im se osiguraju prilike za osoban razvoj i za istraživanje i evaluiranje determinanti sretnog, smislenog i dobrog života. U tu svrhu rad elaborira neke od stavaka ključnih za ljudsku sreću, a koje su nedovoljno zastupljene u europskoj reformi visokog obrazovanja na štetu osobnog razvoja studenata. Rad je podijeljen u četiri djela. Prvi dio razlaže Bolonjsku deklaraciju i neke od ciljeva Bolonjskog procesa. Drugi dio analizira pozitivne i negativne aspekte Bolonjskog procesa. Treći dio provodi kvantitativnu analizu sadržaja deset dokumenata koji su rezultat ministarskih konferencija i istražuje koncept sreće i dobrobiti, dok četvrti dio na temelju etičke teorije objektivne istine razvija određena rješenja kako bi se sreći i dobrobiti studenata unutar visokog obrazovanja posvetila adekvatnija pozornost., The article analyses some positive and negative aspects of the Bologna Process, while paying special attention to the notion of happiness among students. On the basis of a quantitative analysis of contents of ten documents that were issued after conferences at the Ministry of Higher Education in the period between 2001 and 2020, the author concluded that the Bologna Reform does not pay explicit and direct attention to the notion of happiness and well-being of students. On top of that, notions of happiness, happiness of students, and well-being of students are not mentioned at all in those documents. Institutions of higher education are required, of course, to provide students with an opportunity to acquire professional competencies and qualifications that are valued at the job market. However, they should also provide students with an opportunity to develop as persons and to research and evaluate determinants of a happy, meaningful, and good life. In that sense, the article elaborates on some of the key determinants of human happiness that are underrepresented in the European reform of higher education at the expense of the personal development of students. The article is divided into four parts. The first part explains the Bologna Declaration and some of the aims of the Bologna Process. The second part analyses positive and negative aspects of the Bologna Process. The third part carries out a quantitative analysis of contents of ten documents that were issued after conferences at the Ministry of Higher Education and studies the notions of happiness and well-beings, while the fourth part develops some solutions on the basis of the ethical theory of objective truth. These solutions encourage paying more attention to happiness and well-being of students within higher education.

V doktorski disertaciji obravnavam internacionalizacijo in zagotavljanje kakovosti, ki veljata za trenda, ki v 21. stoletju po vsem svetu usmerjata visokošolski razvoj. Čeprav ne gre za povsem sodobna fenomena, se je v Evropi njun razvoj okrepil v zadnjih dveh desetletjih preteklega stoletja, ko se je visokošolsko izobraževanje ponekod že soočalo s korenito transformacijo. Z bolonjskim procesom sta oba trenda postala osrednjega pomena za nadaljnji razvoj evropskega visokošolskega prostora (EVP), saj so se države podpisnice Bolonjske deklaracije (1999) zavezale k spodbujanju mobilnosti kot temeljne dejavnosti internacionalizacije ter razvoju zunanjih in notranjih sistemov zagotavljanja kakovosti v skladu s prevladujočimi smernicami na mednarodni ravni. S tem se je obenem povečala tudi potreba po spremljanju razvoja visokega šolstva v različnih državah članicah bolonjskega procesa, npr. v Sloveniji in na Nizozemskem, ki sta le redko v središču zanimanja primerjalnih raziskovalcev visokega šolstva. Po eni strani naj bi namreč z mednarodnimi zavezami skladen razvoj med različnimi visokošolskimi sistemi krepil harmonizacijo, po drugi strani pa naj bi bil nastajajoči evropski prostor visokošolskega izobraževanja bolj retorika kot stvarnost. Večjo pozornost se je zato začelo namenjati tudi preučevanju različnih dihotomij, med katerimi prav gotovo izstopa tista o zbliževanju in raznolikosti. Čeprav se je v zadnjem desetletju in pol na evropskih tleh okrepil tudi razvoj pobud v okviru zagotavljanja kakovosti internacionalizacije ter internacionalizacije zagotavljanja kakovosti, se večina potekajočih razprav še vedno osredinja na ločeno obravnavo obeh naslovnih konceptov. V pričujočem delu zato zapolnjujem nastalo praznino z osrednjim raziskovalnim vprašanjem, ki se glasi: Kako (lahko) danes, ko se EVP gradi že več kot poldrugo desetletje, razumemo povezavo med internacionalizacijo in zagotavljanjem kakovosti visokega šolstva v Evropi nasploh in v dveh izpostavljenih državah posebej? Tako je namreč moč premostiti različne konceptualne, razvojne, metodološke, teoretske in primerjalne vrzeli, ki se kljub aktualnosti izbrane teme raziskave še vedno pojavljajo v večini obstoječih visokošolskih razprav. V prvem, konceptualnem delu raziskave, ki predstavlja izhodišče za ustrezno razumevanje nadaljnjih poglavij, iščem prevladujoča razumevanja, kaj oba naslovna koncepta pravzaprav pomenita. V drugem delu analiziram razvoj internacionalizacije in sistemov zagotavljanja kakovosti pred bolonjskim procesom in po vključitvi vanj, preučujem pa tudi različne pobude, namenjene zagotavljanju kakovosti v internacionalizaciji ter internacionalizaciji v zagotavljanju kakovosti. Tako razširjam naslovno temo in obenem ponazarjam razloge, zakaj vključujem izbrana koncepta znotraj ene in ne dveh ločenih študij. V tretjem delu predstavljam teoretsko in metodološko zasnovo raziskave, v okviru katere najprej združujem teoretske postavke institucionalnega izomorfizma kot ene izmed bolj uveljavljenih različic sociološkega institucionalizma ter hevristike glonakalnega agenta, kar omogoča podrobnejšo preučitev vprašanja, ali oziroma zakaj se v procesih internacionalizacije in zagotavljanja kakovosti visokega šolstva krepi trend zbliževanja in/ali ohranja raznolikost. Teoretsko razpravo dopolnjujem z vprašanjem metodologije primerjalnih študij, kjer izpostavljam potrebo po uporabi večdimenzionalnega metodološkega okvirja, s katerim je moč preseči omejenost na nacionalno razsežnost kot osnovno enoto analize. V četrtem, primerjalnem delu raziskave pa umeščam ugotovitve predhodnih poglavij v kontekst Slovenije in Nizozemske in tako prispevam manjkajoče odgovore na vprašanja o podobnostih in razlikah, značilnih za preučevanje naslovnih področij znotraj specifičnih visokošolskih kontekstov. V petem, zaključnem delu raziskave pa odgovarjam na glavna raziskovalna vprašanja in s tem na osrednji raziskovalni problem, reflektiram pa tudi glavne prispevke pričujoče raziskave in predlagam nekatere možnosti za prihodnjo obravnavo naslovnih področij raziskave. Osrednji del raziskave temelji na analizi dokumentarnih virov (tj. teoretska literatura institucionalni, nacionalni in nadnacionalni strateški dokumenti nacionalne in mednarodne študije), ki jo dopolnjujem z analizo pridobljenih statističnih podatkov, v primerjalnem delu raziskave pa tudi z izsledki polstrukturiranih intervjujev. Z izborom Slovenije in Nizozemske zapolnjujem raziskovalno praznino, nastalo na področju primerjalnih študij visokega šolstva, ki se še vedno prednostno posvečajo obravnavi zahodnih visokošolskih kontekstov. S priznavanjem medsebojne odvisnosti med naslovnima konceptoma v raziskavi povečujem tudi njuno konceptualno razumljivost, s tem pa odpiram nove možnosti za njuno obravnavo. S kritično izpostavitvijo omejitev teoretskih in metodoloških zasnov, ki jemljejo nacionalno razsežnost kot osnovno enoto analize, pa ponujam tudi enega izmed alternativnih pogledov na raziskovanje visokega šolstva. Na podlagi sprejetih ugotovitev raziskave utemeljujem, da je treba internacionalizacijo in zagotavljanje kakovosti razumeti kot dinamična procesa, ki s priznavanjem specifičnih nacionalnih, institucionalnih, disciplinarnih in individualnih okolij, v katera je vpet njun razvoj, prispevata k izboljšanju kakovosti visokega šolstva. Čeprav je bolonjski proces med različnimi visokošolskimi sistemi iz območja EVP okrepil primerljivost, združljivost in s tem njihovo medsebojno konvergenco, je treba nacionalne in institucionalne odzive na nadnacionalno zastavljene zaveze po razvoju obeh naslovnih konceptov obenem razumeti kot plod precej raznolikih sprememb, ki jih s svojim delovanjem sprožajo prevladujoči nacionalni (politični) organi. Z obravnavo razvoja internacionalizacije in sistemov zagotavljanja kakovosti v slovenskem in nizozemskem visokošolskem prostoru se je namreč potrdilo, da se ta razlikuje od primera do primera, saj je odvisen od specifičnih interesov in stališč številnih akterjev, ki ustvarjajo prostor evropskega visokošolskega izobraževanja, v katerem zbliževanje evropskih sistemov visokega šolstva ni (več) edini cilj bolonjskega procesa. Doctoral dissertation deals with internationalisation and quality assurance which are considered as trends that guide the development of higher education in the 21st century all over the world. Although they are not entirely contemporary phenomena, their development was intensified in Europe over the last two decades of the past century, when higher education was facing a profound transformation. With the Bologna Process, they have become two key areas of development of European Higher Education Area (EHEA), since signatory countries of the Bologna Declaration (1999) committed themselves to promote mobility as a core activity of internationalisation and develop external and internal quality assurance systems in accordance with the prevailing guidelines which were accepted at international level. At the same time, the need to monitor higher education development in various Bologna Process member countries has also intensified, for example, in Slovenia and the Netherlands which are rarely in the focus of interest of comparative researchers of higher education. While on the one hand, the development of higher education systems in accordance with supranational commitments is supposed to strengthen harmonisation, on the other hand, the emerging EHEA is seen more as rhetoric than a reality. As a result, more attention is given to the study of various dichotomies, among which the convergence and diversity dichotomy undoubtedly stands out from the crowd. Although during the last decade and a half, the development of initiatives in the field of quality assurance of internationalisation and internationalisation of quality assurance also intensified in Europe, most of the ongoing discussions still separately examine both selected areas of research. Therefore, I fill in the created void with the central research question, worded as: today, when EHEA is being built for more than a decade and a half, how (can) we understand the link between internationalisation and quality assurance of higher education in Europe in general and in two selected countries separately. In this way, it is possible to bridge various conceptual, developmental, methodological, theoretical and comparative gaps that despite the actuality of the selected topic of research still appear in most of the current academic debates. In the first, conceptual part of research which serves as a starting point for reasonable understanding of further chapters, I look at the prevailing meanings of internationalisation and quality assurance in higher education and I demonstrate what both concepts actually mean. In the second part, I focus not only on the analysis of development of internationalisation and quality assurance systems before and after the Bologna Process but also on various initiatives in the field of quality assurance of internationalisation and internationalisation of quality assurance. In this way, I expand the main topic of research and provide reasons, why to include the selected concepts within one and not two separate studies. In the third part, I present the theoretical and methodological design of the study, in which I combine the concept of institutional isomorphism – one of the well-known versions of sociological institutionalism, and the glonacal agency heuristic. This allows me to examine in more detail, why in the processes of internationalisation and quality assurance in higher education, the trend of convergence is strengthening and/or diversity is preserving. Theoretical debate is followed by discussion on the methodology of comparative studies in which I emphasise the need to introduce a multidimensional methodological framework which can exceed the limits of using national dimension as the basic unit of analysis. In the fourth, comparative part of research, I place the findings of the previous chapters in the context of Slovenia and the Netherlands and thereby, I provide the missing answers to the questions about similarities and differences, distinctive for the study of main fields of research within specific higher education contexts. In the final or the fifth part of research, I answer the main research questions and thus the main research problem, while after that, I also reflect on the main contributions of research and propose some future possibilities for examining the main fields of research. The central part of the research is based on the analysis of documentary sources (i. e., theoretical literature institutional, national and international strategic documents international studies) and is complemented with the analysis of existing statistical data and in the comparative part of research, also with the findings of semi-structured interviews. By selecting Slovenia and the Netherlands, I fill in the research gap, typical for comparative studies in the field of higher education, which continue to focus on higher education contexts from Western (European) countries. By recognising the interdependence among the two core concepts, I also strengthen their conceptual understanding and I open up new possibilities for their interpretation. Moreover, I also offer an alternative view on research of higher education by critically exposing the limits of theoretical and methodological designs that consider the national dimension as the key unit of analysis. Based on the findings of research, I argue that internationalisation and quality assurance should be considered as dynamic processes, which can improve the quality of higher education by recognising specific national, institutional, disciplinary and individual environments in which their development is embedded. Although the Bologna Process has enhanced comparability and compatibility and hence the mutual convergence of various higher education systems in all EHEA countries, at the same time, national and institutional responses to supranational commitments on their development should also be seen as a result of many varied changes, brought by the dominant national (political) authorities. By analysing internationalisation and quality assurance systems in Slovenian and Dutch higher education, I could confirm that their development differs from case to case, as it depends on specific interests and attitudes of various authorities that create the space of European higher education, in which the convergence of European higher education systems is not (anymore) the only goal of the Bologna Process.

Reforma sustava visokog obrazovanja potaknuta je potrebom stvaranja jedinstvenog europskog prostora visokog obrazovanja s ciljem razvoja nove dimenzije europskoga društva i Europe znanja. Kao dio reforme, poduzete su mjere i uvedeni mehanizmi za osiguravanje i unapređenje kvalitete visokog obrazovanja. Temelj za uspostavu i provođenje osiguravanja kvalitete u Republici Hrvatskoj je Bolonjska deklaracija, a temeljni dokument u tom kontekstu Standardi i smjernice za osiguravanje kvalitete u Europskom prostoru visokog obrazovanja. Svrha je ovog rada ukazati na važnost Bolonjskog procesa u funkciji osiguravanja kvalitete visokog obrazovanja u Republici Hrvatskoj, kao temeljne misije u izgradnji društva znanja i gospodarstva u cjelini. U skladu s navedenim, cilj ovog rada je prikazati napredak u provedbi Bolonjskog procesa kroz promicanje mobilnosti studenata i nastavnika, uspostavu sustava praćenja kvalitete te promicanje europske suradnje., Reform of the higher education system has been induced by the requisite creation of a unique European area of higher education, aimed at the development of a new dimension of the European society and knowledge. As a part of the reform, adequate measures were undertaken and new quality assurance and development mechanisms were implemented. The basis for consolidation and implementation of quality assurance in the Republic of Croatia is the Bologna Declaration, with Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area being the fundamental document concerning quality assurance within the context. The objective of this work is to show the importance of the Bologna process in the function of higher education quality assurance in the Republic of Croatia as the fundamental mission in the development of knowledge society and economy as a whole. In this accordance, the aim of this work is to show the progress followed in the implementation of the Bologna process through promoting students’ and educators’ mobility, setting up the quality monitoring system and pursuing European cooperation.

One of the key changes of the European Higher Education Area is the implementation of a competence-based educational system. Students are now more than ever the axis around which the university system orbits. The competences that students should acquire during their studies include transversal competences, which are those competences related to leadership skills, problem solving, and teamwork, highly valued by labor market. This is particularly important in engineering, as these skills can influence the selection of one candidate over another. So, the evaluation and teaching of these kinds of competences are now some of the main challenges facing university professors as the corresponding learning objectives need to be set and assessed, both for study programs as well as for each individual subject, and this process is new for teachers. Focusing precisely on this aspect, our work, based on an empirical study conducted with a sample of 102 engineering students from the University Center of Merida, uses a tool to measure the progress of such students in different transversal competences. This tool not only allows us to evaluate the level of competence development, but also allows us to detect students’ areas of weakness in cross-curricular training that can then be addressed., Jedna od glavnih promjena europskog prostora visokog obrazovanja jest uspostava obrazovnog sustava uutemeljenog na kompetencijama. Studenti su u današnje vrijeme više nego ikada u središtu oko kojega se vrti sveučilišni obrazovni sustav. Kompetencije koje bi studenti trebali steći tijekom svojeg studiranja uključuju transverzalne kompetencije, tj. one koje su povezane s vještinama rukovođenja, rješavanja problema i sa sposobnošću rada u timu, a koje su visoko cijenjene na tržištu rada. Te su osobine iznimno važne u strojarstvu, jer one mogu dati prednost kandidatu koji ih posjeduje. Dakle, evaluacija i poučavanje tim vrstama vještina sada predstavljaju glavne izazove s kojima se sveučilišni profesori suočavaju, jer se odgovarajući obrazovni ishodi moraju postaviti i ocijeniti, i za sveučilišne studijske programe i za svaki pojedinačni kolegij, a taj je proces nastavnicima potpuno nov. Usredotočujući se upravo na taj aspekt, naš rad, koji se temelji na empirijskom istraživanju provedenom na uzorku od 102 studenta strojarstva sa Sveučilišnog centra u Meridi, koristi se alatom kojim možemo utvrditi napredak tih studenata u području različitih transverzalnih kompetencija. Taj alat ne samo da nam omogućava procjenu stupnja razvoja kompetencija nego nam također omogućava prepoznavanje slabih područja studenata u međukurikularnom obrazovanju, na kojima se kasnije može dodatno raditi.

Being in the spotlight, not only of Central Asia but of the entire Asian continent as well, Kyrgyzstan holds the key to global power's differing interests. Neighboring Kyrgyzstan are great powers with developed markets, democratic processes in public governance, free market rela¬tions, and the openness of the country. The whole world is building a global information com¬munity, and high-tech and service industries are generating the max¬imal added value in the global GDP. That is based on knowledge, infor¬mation, and human resources., Budući da je u središtu pozornosti, ne samo u Srednjoj Aziji, nego i na cijelom azijskom kontinentu, Kirgistan je ključar globalne moći je različitih interesa. Susjedi Kirgistana su velike sile s razvijenim tržištima, demokratskim procesima u javnoj upravi, slobodnim tržišnim odnosima, te otvorenosti zemlje. Cijeli svijet gradi globalnu informacijsku zajednicu, i high-tech i uslužne djelatnosti generiraju maksimalnu dodanu vrijednosti u globalnom BDP-u. To se temelji na znanju, informacijama i ljudskim resursima.

U ovom radu daje se prikaz teorijskog i empirijskog okvira rasprave o načelu »proširivanja sudjelovanja« u visokom obrazovanju (eng. widening participation in higher education) i propituje se do koje su mjere dosadašnje spoznaje primijenjene u području javnih politika. Polazi se od pretpostavke da vjerojatnost pristupanja i uspješnog dovršavanja visokog obrazovanja ovisi o nizu društvenih, ekonomskih i kulturnih obilježja potencijalnih studenata te da mjere za proširivanje sudjelovanja moraju voditi računa o toj kompleksnosti uzroka nepravednosti u obrazovanju. Rad analizira do koje su mjere međunarodni dionici u području visokog obrazovanja postavili proširivanje sudjelovanja kao prioritetno pitanje u visokom obrazovanju. Posebna pozornost usmjerena je na pitanje jesu li nalazi i implikacije navedenih empirijskih istraživanja uzeti u obzir u dokumentima koje objavljuju međunarodni dionici te na procjenu učinka koji bi ti dokumenti mogli imati na raspravu o ovoj temi u Hrvatskoj., This paper provides an overview of the theoretical and empirical framework of the debate on widening participation in higher education and explores to what extent the lessons learnt in this field have been applied in the field of public policy. Widening participation is based on the assumption that the probability of entering and successfully completing higher education is contingent on a complex range of social, economic and cultural characteristics of potential students, and that the measures aimed at widening participation must acknowledge the multi-faceted nature of inequities in education. In this context, this paper analyses the extent to which international stakeholders in higher education acknowledge widening participation as a priority. Special attention is given to the question of whether their policy documents take into account the results and implications of empirical research in this field. Finally, the paper assesses the potential impact of these documents on the debate on this topic in Croatia.

Osnovni cilj rada jest ukazati na važnost socijalne dimenzije u reformi visokog školstva u Hrvatskoj i Europi. Pritom valja imati na umu činjenicu da je iznalaž enje europskih političkih preporuka za poboljšanje kvalitete i pravednosti javnih sustava visokog obrazovanja osnovna zadaća ministarskih konvencija Bolonjskoga procesa. Sukladno tome, u radu se pokušava odgovoriti na pitanja pridonose li, na normativnoj razini, institucije visokog obrazovanja uklanjanju nejednakosti u pristupu i sudjelovanju u visokom obrazovanju, odnosno na koji se način učešće u visokoš kolskom obrazovanju posreduje višim društvenim statusom. Analizi ovih pitanja pristupa se u tri koraka: najprije se, na osnovi analize službenih dokumenata Bolonjskog procesa, konceptualno određuje što je to “socijalna dimenzija” visokog obrazovanja; potom se daje kratak pregled karakterističnih teorijskih pristupa vezanih uz tematiku obrazovne i socijalne nejednakosti; na kraju se analiziraju neki normativni aspekti sustava visokog obrazovanja u Hrvatskoj i dostupni empirijski podaci vezani uz socijalne karakteristike hrvatskih studenata/ica., The article emphasizes the importance of the social dimension of higher education reforms in Croatia and Europe, in view of the central task of Bologna process ministerial meetings to define European policy recommendations which target the improvement of quality and equality in European higher education systems. In line with that, the article attempts to address issues concerning the normative level of higher education participation in Croatia and whether higher education institutions contribute to reducing inequalities in access and progress to higher education study, as well as whether higher education participation in Croatia is mediated by social status. These issues are approached in three steps. Firstly, on the basis of analysing Bologna process official documents, the 'social dimension' of higher education is conceptualised. This is followed by a short review of characteristic theoretical approaches to educational and social inequalities; and finally, some aspects of the Croatian higher education system are analysed on both a normative and empirical level, the latter giving an insight into the social characteristics of the Croatian student body., L'objectif fondamental de cette étude est de souligner l'importance de la dimension sociale de la réforme de l'enseignement supérieur en Croatie et en Europe, ayant en vue, à cette occasion, le fait que la création de recommandations politiques européennes pour améliorer la qualité et l'équité des systèmes publics de l'enseignement supérieur est la tâche principale des conventions ministérielles du Processus de Bologne. Conformément à ceci on essaie de répondre à la question: au niveau normatif, les institutions d'enseignement supérieur contribuent-elles à supprimer les inégalités dans l'accès et la participation à l'enseignement supérieur, à savoir de quelle façon le statut social, plus large, intervient dans la participation à l'enseignement supérieur. Il est procédé à l'analyse de ces questions en trois phases: tout d'abord, sur la base de l'analyse des documents officiels du Processus de Bologne est déterminée conceptuellement la “dimension sociale” de l'enseignement supérieur; puis est présenté un bref aperçu des approches théoriques caractéristiques liées à la thématique des inégalités en matière d'enseignement et sociales, puis à la fin sont analysés certains aspects normatifs du système de l'enseignement supérieur en Croatie et les données empiriques accessibles liées aux caractéristiques sociales des étudiant(e)s croates.