Evaluation and academic oligarchy in Latin American higher education: less or more power?

MARQUINA, MÓNICA

Research Handbook on the Transformation of Higher Education.

Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd

Lugar: Cheltenham; Año: 2023; p. 96 - 111

This chapter examines the process of reconfiguration of the academic profession in Argentina, Chile,and Mexico in the context of Latin American higher education reforms, as a consequence of thetransformation of the university system and its relation with the state. As in Europe, these reformshave involved new and more complex relationships between the state, the academic profession, andhigher education institutions. New policies have reinforced the role of research councils andevaluation agencies in charge of applying public instruments to measure academic activityperformance and selectively allocate resources to link funding to results. We analyze whether thesechanges have reduced or strengthened the power of academics while focusing on programs andpolicies aimed at evaluating academic activity and involving the role of peer reviewers. Data fromthe Academic Profession in the Knowledge-Based Society (APIKS) project is used to support ourfindings.