A Study on the Characteristics and Results of the Reform of Higher Education in Slovenia during the ‘Transition’

At the outset of Slovenia’s transition period, the urgent national task was to establish democracy, liberalism, and pluralistic values across all sectors. This comprehensive transition involved institutional reorganization in society, politics, education, and media, alongside reforms targeting the general public. Education emerged as a crucial tool for fostering and disseminating liberal democratic values, aiming to socialize individuals into understanding the moral, civic, and societal obligations of the new system. Slovenian school reform during this period was grounded in liberal democratic values, human rights, and knowledge. Initially, higher education reform lagged due to internal circumstances, with a focus on complementing previous socialist-era reforms rather than enacting substantive changes. However, upon Slovenia's accession to the European Union, a process of Europeanization swept across the nation, prompting the initiation of higher education reform aligned with the Bologna Process. Despite expectations, the Bologna Process encountered resistance in Slovenian higher education and yielded less favorable outcomes than anticipated. This study examines the foundational values of Slovenia’s educational reform for establishing a liberal democratic system and Europeanizing it, while also analyzing the controversies and results surrounding the ‘Bologna Process’, a key symbol of higher education globalization.