Bjørn Stensaker

• Aref, Lara; Wittek, Anne Line & Stensaker, Bjørn (2026). The paradox of supervision - A study of students’ agentic opportunities. International Journal of Educational Research. ISSN 0883-0355. 141, p. 1–11. doi: 10.1016/j.ijer.2026.103130. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The current study offers a framework for analysing systematic efforts to foster graduate student agency. The framework identifies key agentic opportunities during students’ research process. Based on qualitative interviews with graduate thesis supervisors in three very different cultural, social and institutional contexts, findings show considerable shared normative assumptions and taken-for-granted practices related to the supervision process as embedded in a research logic—despite attempts to structure and professionalise supervision as an educational process. A key feature in our data were the many opportunities that existed for students’ agency, the high level of flexibility shown by supervisors in the process and their willingness to be adaptive to student needs. In the discussion, a paradox related to supervision is identified, addressing how the qualities associated with developing student agency are inevitably linked to the quality risks of a less efficient and streamlined supervision process.

• Jungblut, Jens; Maassen, Peter & Stensaker, Bjørn (2026). Investigating the Dynamics of European University Alliances as Multi‐Level Governance Spaces. European Policy Analysis. 12(3). doi: 10.1002/epa2.70050. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The European universities initiative (EUI) has been presented by some as a disruptive policy initiative within the Europe of Knowledge given its speed, scale and scope of changes. In this article, a multi‐level governance (MLG) perspective is used to investigate the most important similarities and differences regarding the national policy responses to the EUI in Germany and Norway. The applied MLG perspective focuses on three dimensions: center‐periphery, state‐society, and international‐domestic. Although Norway and Germany can be considered to be most different systems from the perspective of our research questions, we found interesting similarities between the countries, particularly regarding the strong interest in participating in a European alliance. At the same time, the role of the state and in particular that of the political leadership in the form of the responsible sectoral ministries, has been strikingly different, reflecting the differences in the countries' relationship with the EU.

• Jungblut, Jens & Stensaker, Bjørn (2026). Extended collegiality? The role of students in external quality assurance panels in Europe. Quality in Higher Education. ISSN 1353-8322. p. 1–17. doi: 10.1080/13538322.2026.2663650. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Student representation in external quality assurance is a mandatory requirement in European higher education systems and the involvement of students in such processes is seen as important for the legitimacy of evaluations, accreditations and audits. However, there is limited knowledge about the role students play in external quality assurance panels and how they perceive their involvement. This study seeks to address this gap. It is based on a survey of students who routinely take part in external quality assurance exercises across Europe. The survey shows that students perceive themselves as representatives, partners or even experts. Students’ multiple roles and their integration into panel practices indicate that quality assurance panels function as a form of extended collegiality. In the discussion, the paper outlines the key conditions for integrating students into external quality assurance and not least, how students’ expertise in such processes may be enhanced.

• Stensaker, Bjørn; Koh, Young Hoon; Maassen, Peter; Amarilla, Jessica; Houlette, Hilary & Lee, Jenny J. (2026). The Roles of Policy-Oriented University Alliances: A European Case. Higher Education Policy. ISSN 0952-8733. doi: 10.1057/s41307-026-00447-1. Full text in Research Archive
• Aref, Lara & Stensaker, Bjørn (2025). How is student-centred learning translated within the European Higher Education Area? Studies in Higher Education. ISSN 0307-5079. doi: 10.1080/03075079.2025.2605101. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  One of the key aims of the Bologna Process has been to stimulate the convergence of European higher education systems through agreed-upon standards and the comparability of key characteristics and dimensions. Since 2015, student-centred learning (SCL) has become more prominently launched as a key feature of the Bologna Process and as a concept aimed at further enhancing convergence between systems and institutions in Europe. However, as the concept can be interpreted in various ways, the ambition of this article is to investigate whether SCL has evolved as a concept able to align diverse European higher education systems and institutions. Based on a scoping literature review(2015–2024) covering all countries that are members of the European Higher Education Area, we find that SCL has become an important frame and point of reference for new teaching and learning designs in classroom settings. However, new teaching designs often maintain traditional roles between teachers and students. As such, SCL can be said to stimulate symbolic convergence, although there are few indications that it contributes to driving more radical transformations of teaching and learning processes in higher education.

• Frølich, Nicoline; Bleiklie, Ivar & Stensaker, Bjørn (2025). Leadership communication during organizational transformation. European Journal of Higher Education. ISSN 2156-8235. 15(4), p. 680–695. doi: 10.1080/21568235.2025.2456871. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The article studies the role of institutional leadership communication in six cases of comprehensive organizational transformation in higher education institutions. Through the concepts of sense-making and seizing, the article investigates how academic leaders at the institutional level deal with the need to balance continuity and change in their intra-organizational communication. Key findings suggest that digital platforms change not just the outreach of academic leadership communication but also the types of staff interaction and involvement during organizational transformation. Furthermore, findings also suggest that leadership communication is more focused on processes than outcomes and is more oriented towards learning to live with unresolved situations than providing swift solutions. The findings are discussed in relation to the literature, and some implications are suggested as to how communication processes can be exploited by institutional leaders in organizational transformation processes.

• Stensaker, Bjørn (2025). University Governing Boards: Resilience and Renewal. In Amaral, Alberto; Tavares, Orlanda & Sin, Christina (Ed.), Reform and change in higher education: Challenges and innovations. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISSN 9781035347056. p. 183–197. doi: 10.4337/9781035347063.00019. Full text in Research Archive
• Stensaker, Bjørn (2025). Kvalitetsreformen 20 år etter: Ambisjoner og realiteter. In Prøitz, Tine Sophie; Rye, Ellen Margrethe & Larsen, Ingvild Marheim (Ed.), Endringer og spenninger i høyere utdanning. Fagbokforlaget. ISSN 9788245052596. p. 23–42. Full text in Research Archive
• Stensaker, Bjørn (2025). Internasjonalisering og utdanningsledelse: Nye utfordringer og nye muligheter. In Solbrekke, Tone Dyrdal & Helstad, Kristin (Ed.), Utdanningsledelse i høyere utdanning - legitime kompromisser. Universitetsforlaget. ISSN 9788215071329. p. 63–81. Full text in Research Archive
• Blacklock, Joseph David; Baird, Jeanette & Stensaker, Bjørn (2025). Evolutionary stages in risk-based quality regulation in Australian higher education 2011–2024. Policy Reviews in Higher Education. ISSN 2332-2969. 9(2), p. 240–262. doi: 10.1080/23322969.2025.2493115. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Risk-based approaches to higher education are in a number of countries seen as a way to create more effective and efficient regulation. Australia was an early mover in this direction, initiating risk-based regulation in 2011 when the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) was established as Australia’s new national higher education quality assurance agency. This paper analyzes the characteristics and changes in the evolution of risk-based regulation over the period 2011–2024. Drawing on extensive document analysis, independent third-party analysis, and a small number of Delphi-interviews, we identify three distinct phases in TEQSA’s approach to risk-based regulation: (i) ‘hyper-regulation’, (ii) a more dynamic regulatory approach, and (iii) an approach balancing protection as well as regulation of providers. The paper contributes to the discussion on risk-based regulation by refining existing conceptual models, analyzing how risk-based regulatory approaches evolve over time, thus allowing for insights of value for risk-based regulators elsewhere.

• Gornitzka, Åse & Stensaker, Bjørn (2024). Players or Pawns? University Response to the Introduction of Plan S. European Review. ISSN 1062-7987. doi: 10.1017/S1062798723000583. Full text in Research Archive
• Hybertsen, Ingunn Dahler & Stensaker, Bjørn (2024). Affirmative and Non-affirmative Dimensions in Quality Assurance: Balancing the Accountability–Improvement Dilemma as a Matter of Trust and Learning. Educational Governance Research. ISSN 2365-9548. 25, p. 131–150. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-55116-1_6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Today, given the build-up of national quality assurance systems, ‘quality management’ within higher education institutions requires critical attention. This management operates as a balance between accountability, which is outward oriented, and improvement, which covers internal pedagogical and research activities. This accountability–improvement dilemma has been intensively researched over the years, not least by focusing on how the relationship between national quality assurance agencies and individual higher education institutions can be developed with respect to mutual trust. Applying insights from non-affirmative theory, this chapter investigates external judgements of quality management at the institutional level in the Nordic context. The investigation addresses how external evaluation reports may function as a mediating tool for balancing the accountability–improvement dilemma in quality assurance. Using conceptualisations of educational and pedagogical leadership derived from non-affirmative theory, we analyse how expectations of leadership are expressed in external evaluation reports. The framework comprises dimensions of pedagogical leadership that are (1) to organise learning processes in professional learning communities, (2) to negotiate practices of quality work in the academic community, both within and across institutions, and (3) to protect professional, academic and institutional autonomy. We analyse the alignment between this conceptualisation of and the expectations of leadership expressed in external reports and add (4) trust in quality management as a fourth dimension. Balancing the accountability and improvement dilemma is not only a matter of trust between the institution and the national agencies but also within the academic community. Discussing the importance of mutual trust in quality work can add value to our understanding of pedagogical leadership in non-affirmative education theory.

• Misra, Debananda & Stensaker, Bjørn (2024). Balancing control and legitimacy in higher education policy implementation. Studies in Higher Education. ISSN 0307-5079. doi: 10.1080/03075079.2024.2306340. Full text in Research Archive
• Stensaker, Bjørn & Matear, Sheelagh (2024). Student involvement in quality assurance: perspectives and practices towards persistent partnerships. Quality in Higher Education. ISSN 1353-8322. doi: 10.1080/13538322.2024.2346358. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Students are, in some regions and countries in the world, one of the key stakeholders that are included in quality assurance processes, although their participation is missing in others. However, there is an increasing interest in including students in quality assurance processes, both internally at the institutional level and externally as part of the national and regional accreditations or evaluations of institutions or their educational offerings. This article identifies key practices and dilemmas when involving students in quality assurance and discusses the conditions facilitating a partnership with students in these processes. In the conclusion, it is argued for an approach where students are recognised as having expertise that is valuable in quality assurance.

• Stensaker, Bjørn (2023). Rebuilding Collegiality? Faculty Peer Group Mentoring in Higher Education - Developing Collegiality through Organised Supportive Collaboration. Springer. ISSN 9783031374579. p. 209–214. Full text in Research Archive
• Stensaker, Bjørn (2023). Policy Framing in Canada, the U.S. and Western Europe – A Comparison, Comparative Higher Education Politics. Policymaking in North America and Western Europe. Springer. ISSN 9783031258664. p. 313–324. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This volume provides an overview of the state of the art of research on the politics of higher education policy in Canada, the US, and Western Europe. Each thematic chapter combines an extensive literature review with original empirical work that further advances our understanding of policymaking dynamics in higher education. The book covers five key aspects of policymaking, namely the politics of governance as well as funding reforms, the role of interest groups, policy diffusion, and policy framing. These aspects are explored using a unique comparative design that combines comparisons within as well as between regions, and among the five key aspects of policymaking. The conceptual framework is anchored in approaches from institutional theory, namely sociological and historical institutionalism.

• Woelert, Peter & Stensaker, Bjørn (2023). The evaluative state, the evaluative society – and beyond. In Amaral, Alberto & Magalhães, António (Ed.), Handbook on Higher Education Management and Governance. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISSN 9781800888067. p. 232–243. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  As an analytical concept, the 'evaluative state' captured key transformations regarding shifts in the public governance of higher education occurring throughout Western Europe during the 1980s and the 1990s. As Guy Neave, the inventor of the concept argued, the evaluative state represented an attempt to go beyond bureaucratic modes of steering universities via homogeneous legislation towards a more instrumental mode of governance relying upon formal performance criteria and standards and contractual autonomy arrangements. The interest in evaluation of higher education institutions and activities has continued in the decades since, and this chapter argues that the ongoing expansion of forms and mechanisms of evaluation and the number of stakeholders involved in this activity has paved the way for what some have labelled an 'evaluative society'. The chapter discusses the factors driving this development and future implications related to the governance of higher education.

• Stensaker, Bjørn; Maassen, Peter & Rosso, Arianna (2023). The European University Initiative – investigating alliance formation and initial profile developments. Tertiary Education and Management. ISSN 1358-3883. doi: 10.1007/s11233-023-09125-y. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract The European University Initiative (EUI) – launched by the European Commission in 2018 has been received with considerable interest from higher education institutions in Europe with hundreds of institutions forming new alliances. While the EUI-initiative in many ways is a continuation of a long history of collaboration across national borders in Europe, the initiative also contains novel elements – not least with respect to the institutional commitments the new alliances are based on. This paper offers new insights into the alliance formation process, and the profiles of European university alliances. Based on a series of qualitative interviews with key persons at alliance level, our findings demonstrate quite complex alliance formation processes where both collective and individual networks of institutions were activated, and where different path-dependencies shaped the membership of the alliances.

• Stensaker, Bjørn & Hermansen, Hege (2023). Global, Nordic, or institutional visions? An investigation into how Nordic universities are adapting to the SDGs. Higher Education. ISSN 0018-1560. doi: 10.1007/s10734-023-01047-3. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  After their launch by the UN in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been seen as landmarks for global survival. Higher education has been given a key role in the implementation of the SDGs, and the current article investigates how a sample of Nordic higher education institutions have been adapting to the SDGs. Based on the assumption that some SDGs are closely linked to traditional Nordic values such as inclusion and equality, one could expect that higher education institutions in this region would find it easy to adopt (specific parts of) the SDGs. However, although such adaptation is detectable at some institutions, many institutions seem to adapt to the SDGs in more symbolic ways. The findings are discussed in relation to the impact of globalization on Nordic higher education, along with how and to what extent globalized ideas are translated into local contexts.

• Ruan, Jieyu; Cai, Yuzhuo & Stensaker, Bjørn (2023). University managers or institutional leaders? An exploration of top-level leadership in Chinese universities. Higher Education. ISSN 0018-1560. 87, p. 703–719. doi: 10.1007/s10734-023-01031-x. Full text in Research Archive
• Aksnes, Dag W.; Borlaug, Siri Brorstad; Eide, Thea & Stensaker, Bjørn (2023). Exploring the relationship between departmental characteristics and research performance. Perspectives. ISSN 1360-3108. doi: 10.1080/13603108.2023.2227132. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Many recent higher education reforms worldwide have been legitimated by their potential impact on the performance of universities and colleges. However, we know less about the actual impact of the changes implemented. This article examines the extent to which research performance can be associated with specific organizational characteristics at the department level. The analysis is based on Norwegian university departments, where high- and low-performing departments have been selected as cases for further investigations. The policy context is the organizational reform in Norway from 2016 onwards aiming at reorganizing the higher education landscape through institutional mergers. The key findings indicate that there are few distinct departmental characteristics associated with research performance, such as elected or appointed leadership, single or multi-campus organization, or departmental size. However, the study reveals that highly productive individuals do matter and suggests that cultural dimensions and working conditions may be interesting factors to pursue in further research.

• Elken, Mari & Stensaker, Bjørn (2022). Bounded innovation or agency drift? Developments in European higher education quality assurance. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. ISSN 0260-2938. doi: 10.1080/02602938.2022.2078476. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  As higher education quality assurance in many countries in Europe has become a mature activity, some agencies carrying out external quality assurance are developing beyond their core tasks and missions. The current study identifies new tasks taken up within quality assurance agencies and analyses the drivers behind such development. Based on an empirical investigation into six quality assurance agencies in Europe, the study finds that these agencies are still under substantial control of and influenced by national authorities—often resulting in new tasks and responsibilities that are added to older tasks and established responsibilities. The ongoing innovations can be characterized by two dynamics: ‘bounded innovation’ where new tasks and activities are induced by public authorities, and agency drift where agencies themselves redefine and expand existing tasks and activities. The developments also show a high degree of diversity, suggesting that mature quality assurance agencies do not develop on a convergent path.

• Maassen, Peter; Stensaker, Bjørn & Rosso, Arianna (2022). The European university alliances—an examination of organizational potentials and perils. Higher Education. ISSN 0018-1560. doi: 10.1007/s10734-022-00951-4. Full text in Research Archive
• Geschwind, Lars; Pinheiro, Romulo & Stensaker, Bjørn (2022). Organizational Persistence in Highly Institutionalized Environments: Unpacking the Relation Between Identity and Resilience. In Pinheiro, Romulo; Frigotto, Maria Laura & Young, Mitchell (Ed.), Towards resilient organizations and societies: A cross-sectoral and multi-disciplinary perspective. Palgrave Macmillan. ISSN 9783030820718. p. 195–221. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-82072-5_8. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Despite growing academic interest in understanding the conditions under which resilient organizations adapt to challenging circumstances, little attention to date has been paid to the role played by ‘soft’ factors such as identity as an enabler or property of resilient behaviour. In this chapter, we propose that different forms of legitimacy contribute to the framing of acceptable identities affecting the endurance of central elements over time, thus shaping resilience. By splitting up forms of legitimacy and by analysing elements of organizational identity separately, we provide a novel framework that enables a deeper understanding of identity formation processes in complex environments on the one hand and their links with resilience on the other. Through a historically based analysis of a Nordic university over a 40-year period, we demonstrate the complex, dynamic relationship between external legitimacy, identity adaptation and resilience in the context of organizational transformation. By establishing a link between identity, legitimacy and resilience, the study provides critical insights into the conditions affecting organizational persistence within highly institutionalized organizational fields, such as higher education.

• Huisman, Jeroen & Stensaker, Bjørn (2022). Performance governance and management in higher education revisited: international developments and perspectives. Quality in Higher Education. ISSN 1353-8322. 28(1), p. 106–119. doi: 10.1080/13538322.2021.1951457. Full text in Research Archive
• Harvey, Lee & Stensaker, Bjørn (2022). Researching quality assurance: accomplishments and future agendas. In Huisman, Jeroen & wende, Marijk Van der (Ed.), A Research Agenda for Global Higher Education. Edward Elgar. ISSN 9781800376052. p. 81–95. Full text in Research Archive
• Lackner, Elisabeth Josefine & Stensaker, Bjørn (2022). Skiftende politiske perspektiver på universitetet? – En analyse av to sentrale stortingsmeldinger på 2000-tallet. Norsk pedagogisk tidsskrift. ISSN 0029-2052. 106(4), p. 291–303. doi: 10.18261/npt.106.4.2. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I ordskiftet om høyere utdanning argumenteres det gjerne for at styringsregimer som fremmer markedstenkning, målstyring og konkurranse, svekker universitetenes tradisjonelle verdigrunnlag. Denne artikkelen dykker ned i to sentrale stortingsmeldinger fra de siste to tiårene for å analysere hvorvidt og i så fall hvordan den politiske forståelsen av universitetene er i endring. Basert på perspektiver på universitetet som «velferdsinstrument», «bedrift» og «kunnskapsinstitusjon» viser analysen at synet på universitetet som statlig velferdsinstrument og som bedrift står sterkt i begge dokumentene, og at bedriftsperspektivet er mer toneangivende i den nyeste meldingen. Perspektivet på universitetet som uavhengig kunnskapsinstitusjon er svakt representert i meldingene. Vi fremhever verdien av å benytte flerdimensjonale perspektiver på utdanningspolitiske analyser.

• Stensaker, Bjørn (2021). På vei mot en ny kollegialitet? In Wittek, Anne Line & Lange, Thomas de (Ed.), Kollegaveiledning i høyere utdanning. Universitetsforlaget. ISSN 9788215048420. p. 220–225. Full text in Research Archive
• Stensaker, Bjørn; Jungblut, Jens Patrick Wilhelm & Mihut, Georgiana (2021). Strategic advisory boards – the emergence of shadow governance in universities? International Journal of Leadership in Education. ISSN 1360-3124. doi: 10.1080/13603124.2021.1913237. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Numerous universities throughout the world have established top-level advisory boards – informal bodies and councils that the institutional leadership may consult on issues perceived as important. Through a series of qualitative interviews with members of such entities as well as representatives of the institutions appointing them, the article sheds light on how strategic advisory bodies function, and how these entities frame and interact with the institutional leadership. We observe that strategic advisory boards represent a hybrid form of governance installing mutual dependencies between representatives of the boards and the institutional leadership – what we label as a kind of controlled collegiality. While university leadership acts as a gatekeeper controlling access to these boards, once members are nominated the power relations between the actors, become more equal. The study highlights the importance of strategic advisory boards as new elements in higher education governance – working in the shadow of more formal governance arrangements. Here, we argue that the establishment of these boards can be interpreted as a re-introduction of a collegial element in universities exposed to a number of reforms resulting in more streamlined and managerial governance structures.

• Jungblut, Jens; Stensaker, Bjørn & Vukasovic, Martina (2021). University Rankings and students’ information needs: what is the relation? In Hazelkorn, Ellen & Mihut, Georgiana (Ed.), Research Handbook on University Rankings. Theory, Methodology, Influence and Impact. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISSN 9781788974974. p. 307–319. Full text in Research Archive
• Frølich, Nicoline & Stensaker, Bjørn (2021). Mergers and missions: Investigating consequences for system diversity. Higher Education. ISSN 0018-1560. 82, p. 411–434. doi: 10.1007/s10734-021-00730-7. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In recent decades, many higher education systems around the world have been exposed to institutional mergers. While the rationale for mergers has often been related to issues of improved quality, effectiveness and/or efficiency at the institutional level, fewer studies have analysed how mergers may affect institutional diversity within the higher education landscape. Focusing on institutional missions, the current study analyses the strategic plans of both merged and non-merged institutions in Norway. The key finding is that mergers may not necessarily reduce system level diversity, although mergers indeed may affect the organisational mission of individual institutions.

• Stensaker, Bjørn (2021). Building institutional capacity for student competencies: An organizational perspective. International Journal of Chinese Education. ISSN 2212-585X. doi: 10.1177/22125868211006200. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  One of the key ambitions of universities around the world is to improve the educational design and delivery to the benefit of their students. Many universities acknowledge that they need to educate students for a future characterised by high levels of uncertainty in which individuals need to possess substantial confidence and competencies to navigate. While much attention has been given to the need for innovation in educational design, this paper focuses more on the organizational conditions needed to realize the necessary changes. Based on a review of current organizational developments and characteristics of universities, it is argued that a number of tasks, areas and practices need to be better integrated if higher education is to fulfil their ambition to equip students with the competencies needed for the future.

• Lee, Jenny & Stensaker, Bjørn (2021). Research on internationalisation and globalisation in higher education—Reflections on historical paths, current perspectives and future possibilities. European Journal of Education. ISSN 0141-8211. 56(2), p. 157–168. doi: 10.1111/ejed.12448. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Internationalisation and globalisation are intertwined and complex phenomena that have attracted the interest of higher education scholars for several decades. This article offers some reflections on how research on internationalisation and globalisation has developed over the years and the perspectives that appear to have dominated these studies. A key argument is that while the field is, in many ways, booming—both in the numbers of publications and with respect to topics explored—whether substantial theoretical advances have been made is questionable. Many publications still tend to be quite descriptive with shallow observations, mostly on reporting national trends and political agendas. As internationalisation and globalisation undoubtedly continue to make an impact on higher education in the years to come, there is a need for a stronger theoretical basis, which can underpin future studies. The current article discusses potential future advancements enabling a more integrated, theoretical grounding for understanding and interpreting internationalisation and globalisation in the years to come.

• Stensaker, Bjørn (2020). External Quality Assurance in Higher Education, Encyclopedia of International Higher Education Systems and Institutions. Springer Nature. ISSN 9789401789042. p. 421–426. doi: 10.1007/978-94-017-8905-9_523. Full text in Research Archive
• Stensaker, Bjørn (2020). Policy Implementation in Higher Education, Encyclopedia of International Higher Education Systems and Institutions. Springer Nature. ISSN 9789401789042. p. 2252–2259. doi: 10.1007/978-94-017-8905-9_138. Full text in Research Archive
• Elken, Mari; Frølich, Nicoline; Maassen, Peter & Stensaker, Bjørn (2020). Quality Systems in Higher Education Institutions: Enabling and Constraining Quality Work. In Elken, Mari; Maassen, Peter; Nerland, Monika; Prøitz, Tine Sophie; Stensaker, Bjørn & Vabø, Agnete (Ed.), Quality Work in Higher Education. Organisational and Pedagogical Dimensions. Springer. ISSN 9783030417567. p. 19–41. Full text in Research Archive
• Elken, Mari & Stensaker, Bjørn (2020). Quality Work: Reflections and Refinements. In Elken, Mari; Maassen, Peter; Nerland, Monika; Prøitz, Tine Sophie; Stensaker, Bjørn & Vabø, Agnete (Ed.), Quality Work in Higher Education. Organisational and Pedagogical Dimensions. Springer. ISSN 9783030417567. p. 175–186. Full text in Research Archive
• Elken, Mari & Stensaker, Bjørn (2020). Researching ‘Quality Work’ in Higher Education. In Elken, Mari; Maassen, Peter; Nerland, Monika; Prøitz, Tine Sophie; Stensaker, Bjørn & Vabø, Agnete (Ed.), Quality Work in Higher Education. Organisational and Pedagogical Dimensions. Springer. ISSN 9783030417567. p. 1–18. Full text in Research Archive
• Karakhanyan, Susanna & Stensaker, Bjørn (2020). Introduction: The background for and the ambitions of the current book, Global Trends in Higher Education Quality Assurance. Brill | Sense. ISSN 9789004440319. doi: 10.1163/9789004440326_001. Full text in Research Archive
• Karakhanyan, Susanna & Stensaker, Bjørn (2020). External quality assurance: Comparative reflections, Global Trends in Higher Education Quality Assurance. Brill | Sense. ISSN 9789004440319. doi: 10.1163/9789004440326_004. Full text in Research Archive
• Stensaker, Bjørn & Karakhanyan, Susanna (2020). Quality assurance: legitimacy, efficiency and control issues, Global Trends in Higher Education Quality Assurance. Brill | Sense. ISSN 9789004440319. doi: 10.1163/9789004440326_003. Full text in Research Archive
• Karakhanyan, Susanna & Stensaker, Bjørn (2020). External quality assurance: The landscape, the players and developmental trends, Global Trends in Higher Education Quality Assurance. Brill | Sense. ISSN 9789004440319. doi: 10.1163/9789004440326_002. Full text in Research Archive
• Stensaker, Bjørn & Karakhanyan, Susanna (2020). Institutional quality management: Comparative reflections, Global Trends in Higher Education Quality Assurance. Brill | Sense. ISSN 9789004440319. doi: 10.1163/9789004440326_005. Full text in Research Archive
• Lee, Jenny J; Vance, Hillary; Stensaker, Bjørn & Ghosh, Sowmya (2020). Global rankings at a local cost? The strategic pursuit of status and the third mission. Comparative Education. ISSN 0305-0068. 56(2), p. 236–256. doi: 10.1080/03050068.2020.1741195. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study examined how hierarchical positions within the global field of higher education influence the selection of strategic priorities by universities in different parts of the world. The study particularly focused on universities’ commitment to third missions as reflected in their strategic plans and compared to their global rankings. The findings demonstrate that top globally ranked institutions are generally less explicit about their commitment to the third mission relating to their geographic setting compared to mid/low and unranked institutions. Meanwhile, unranked institutions most consistently exhibit strategies in contributing to the local economy, recognising their local challenges and environment, and working for the benefit of their local community. This study informs debates on the intention and extent of the public good and missions of universities in light of the increasing dependence on ranking schemes.

• Holen, Rasa; Ashwin, Paul; Maassen, Peter & Stensaker, Bjørn (2020). Student partnership: exploring the dynamics in and between different conceptualizations. Studies in Higher Education. ISSN 0307-5079. doi: 10.1080/03075079.2020.1770717. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The concept of student partnership has attracted increased attention during the last decade, often due to an assumption that it can mitigate neo-liberal agendas and practices in teaching and learning. A review of definitions and understandings of student partnership models shows that most of the research conducted on this topic has been based on normative assumptions, with less focus on how partnership practices play out in different contexts. In this article an analytical framework for analysing student partnership is introduced and tested through an empirical analysis of collaborative practices in centres for teaching excellence in Norwegian higher education. The key findings are that the diversity and dynamics of student partnership depend on the context in which they operate, but more importantly how different practices of partnership play out in parallel in those educational contexts. The result is often a mix of hybrid practices related to different conceptualizations of student partnership.

• Aamodt, Per O; Graversen, Ebbe Krogh; Hovdhaugen, Elisabeth; Schmidt, Evanthia Kalpazidou; Maassen, Peter & Stensaker, Bjørn (2020). The relationship between external quality assurance and the work of study programme leaders: a comparative study. In Elken, Mari; Maassen, Peter; Nerland, Monika; Prøitz, Tine Sophie; Stensaker, Bjørn & Vabø, Agnete (Ed.), Quality Work in Higher Education. Organisational and Pedagogical Dimensions. Springer. ISSN 9783030417567. p. 43–56. Full text in Research Archive
• Dong, Xilu; Maassen, Peter; Stensaker, Bjørn & Xu, Xiuling (2020). Governance for excellence and diversity? The impact of central and regional affiliation for the strategic positioning of Chinese top universities. Higher Education. ISSN 0018-1560. doi: 10.1007/s10734-020-00516-3. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Through analysis of the strategic ambitions of China’s top universities, this article studies the relationship between governance structures at the system level and strategic institutional adaptations. In China, some top universities are governed directly by the national authorities while others have regional affiliations. By analyzing the strategic plans of a sample of universities in both categories the article examines how these differences in governance modes may impact the formal ambitions and objectives of the universities and discuss the potential system implications of these different governance modes, especially related to issues of excellence and diversity. The article find that differences in governance modes do affect the strategic positioning of Chinese universities, and different ways in which governance arrangements can be used to foster both excellence and diversity in a system perspective are discussed.

• Hansen, Hanne Foss; Aarrevaara, Timo; Geschwind, Lars & Stensaker, Bjørn (2019). Evaluation Practices and Impact: Overload? In Pinheiro, Romulo; Geschwind, Lars; Hansen, Hanne Foss & Pulkkinen, Kirsi (Ed.), Reforms, Organizational Change and Performance in Higher Education. A comparative Account from the Nordic Countries. Palgrave Macmillan. ISSN 9783030117375. p. 235–266. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-11738-2_8. Full text in Research Archive
• Pinheiro, Romulo; Aarrevaara, Timo; Berg, Laila Nordstrand; Fumasoli, Tatiana; Geschwind, Lars & Hansen, Hanne Foss [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2019). Nordic Higher Education in Flux: System Evolution and Reform Trajectories. In Pinheiro, Romulo; Geschwind, Lars; Hansen, Hanne Foss & Pulkkinen, Kirsi (Ed.), Reforms, Organizational Change and Performance in Higher Education. A comparative Account from the Nordic Countries. Palgrave Macmillan. ISSN 9783030117375. p. 69–108. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-11738-2_3. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This chapter provides a brief description of how the four national systems included in this study—Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden—are currently organised and structured. In doing so, it illuminates several specific features such as the types and sizes of the institutions, enrolment patterns, performance measures, and funding. In addition, the chapter gives a snapshot of how higher education systems have evolved historically by shedding light on policy dynamics from the late 1990s to 2013, the baseline period for the FINNUT comparative study, the research project that provides the basis for this edited volume. This is followed by a section describing the aim, methods, theoretical framework, and conceptual and analytical backdrops underpinning the study. The chapter concludes with an overview of the volume’s structure and key insights from the individual contributions.

• Pulkkinen, Kirsi; Aarrevaara, Timo; Berg, Laila Nordstrand; Geschwind, Lars; Hansen, Hanne Foss & Hernes, Helge [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2019). Does It Really Matter? Assessing the Performance Effects of Changes in Leadership and Management Structures in Nordic Higher Education. In Pinheiro, Romulo; Geschwind, Lars; Hansen, Hanne Foss & Pulkkinen, Kirsi (Ed.), Reforms, Organizational Change and Performance in Higher Education. A comparative Account from the Nordic Countries. Palgrave Macmillan. ISSN 9783030117375. p. 3–36. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-11738-2_1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Universities are public organisations, which operate in a highly institutionalised environment. They are heavily dependent on public resources. As such, universities are susceptible to shifts in governance arrangements but are also far from being passive recipients of reform agendas. They face demands from multiple internal constituencies (academics, administrators, students, managers) and from a variety of external stakeholders. This chapter explores the interplay between governance arrangements resulting from policy shifts and university dynamics. It sets the stage for the book, asking the following research questions: (1) what characterises changes in governance regimes in Nordic universities in the last decade and a half, and (2) what effects have these changes had in the evolution of higher education systems? The chapter takes a comparative approach and identifies similarities and differences across the Nordic countries. This chapter serves as a frame of reference for the book and includes a common methods and data section.

• Wollscheid, Sabine; Stensaker, Bjørn & Bugge, Markus (2019). Evidence-Informed Policy and Practice in the Field of Education: The Dilemmas Related to Organizational Design. European Education : Issues and Studies. ISSN 1056-4934. 51(4). doi: 10.1080/10564934.2019.1619465. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Evidence-informed policy and practice has been a trend as part of an effort to increase the use of research to improve education at all levels. In many countries, knowledge-brokering initiatives were established to stimulate links between research, policy, and practice. Drawing on a mapping of initiatives in seven countries, this article describes different organizational designs, and discusses potential dilemmas these might imply for the realization of these organizations’ roles. Given different interests involved, the article shows that organizational design is crucial for enhancing legitimacy. Findings indicate a trend toward locating the knowledge-brokering function in a combined policy–science logic.

• Maassen, Peter & Stensaker, Bjørn (2019). From organised anarchy to de-coupled bureaucracy: The transformation of university organisation. Higher Education Quarterly. ISSN 0951-5224. 73(4), p. 456–468. doi: 10.1111/hequ.12229. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Based on key governance and organisational characteristics from the 1970s universities have been conceptualised as organised anarchies and loosely coupled systems. More recently, a number of studies have argued that universities have been changing their internal governance and organisational structures leading to tighter vertical steering and the emergence of more integrated organisations. In this article, it is argued that while tighter vertical integration indeed might be observed, this does not necessarily imply greater horizontal integration in university organising as well. By drawing on case studies of five research‐intensive universities in five different countries, we discuss how strengthened hierarchical governance is driving increased organisational specialisation and professionalisation, but that this also may result in horizontal de‐coupling within universities. The article ends by a discussion of the positive and negative implications of coupled, de‐coupled and loosely coupled organisations.

• Dong, Xilu; Maassen, Peter & Stensaker, Bjørn (2019). Balancing excellence and diversity in higher education? The role of the Chinese first-level discipline evaluation scheme. Policy Reviews in Higher Education. ISSN 2332-2969. 3(2), p. 208–230. doi: 10.1080/23322969.2019.1640635. Full text in Research Archive
• Stensaker, Bjørn; Hovdhaugen, Elisabeth & Maassen, Peter (2019). The practices of quality management in Norwegian higher education: Collaboration and control in study programme design and delivery. International Journal of Educational Management. ISSN 0951-354X. 33(4), p. 698–708. doi: 10.1108/IJEM-11-2017-0327. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Purpose: In recent decades, higher education institutions have been encouraged to develop their own internal management systems as a response to perceived quality challenges in the sector. These quality management (QM) systems have often been found to mainly reflect external accountability requirements, with less focus on coherent study programme development. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between QM practices and study programme delivery in Norwegian higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach: The study examined how coordination and control of quality work with respect to educational activities take place, using data from a survey to study programme leaders in a large sample of Norwegian higher education institutions. Findings: The main findings show that a majority of institutions have established formal advisory bodies with a QM mandate, contributing to more coherent thinking, even though the division of labour between these bodies and formal decision-making structures often is unclear. The study also shows a high level of diversity in the collaboration practices among different actors involved in QM work, indicating that QM practices are adapted to local needs. Originality/value: The paper provides new knowledge as to how QM is conducted in practice at the local level. It nuances earlier studies by showing the involvement of collegial bodies in QM although such bodies may have unclear mandates and, thus, an unclear role in the QM process.

• Stensaker, Bjørn (2019). Socially embedded universities and the search for meaning. In Christensen, Tom; Gornitzka, Åse & Ramirez, Francisco O. (Ed.), Universities as Agencies. Reputation and Professionalization. Palgrave Macmillan. ISSN 9783319927121. p. 251–269. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-92713-8_10. Full text in Research Archive
• Stensaker, Bjørn; Elken, Mari & Maassen, Peter (2019). Studieprogramledelse – et spørsmål om organisering? Uniped - Tidsskrift for universitets- og høgskolepedagogikk. ISSN 1500-4538. 42(1), p. 91–105. doi: 10.18261/issn.1893-8981-2019-01-07. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Utdanningsledelse har blitt fremmet som et viktig tiltak for å øke kvalitet i norsk høyere utdanning, men det har vært relativt begrenset kunnskap om hva utdanningsledelse på studieprogramnivå består av. Studieprogramledere har en viktig funksjon i koordineringen av det faglige arbeidet i studieprogrammene, de er koblingspunktet mellom pedagogisk arbeid i studieprogrammene og den organisatoriske konteksten studieprogrammene opererer innenfor. Artikkelen bruker data fra et spørreskjema blant norske studieprogramledere (N=551) ved 33 læresteder som ble gjennomført i 2016. Denne artikkelen ser på relasjonen mellom organisatoriske strukturer og rutiner og hvordan studieprogramledelse utøves. Artikkelen ser på lederrollens formalisering og forankring, ansvarsområder, samt måten kvalitetsarbeid samordnes på. En sentral konklusjon i artikkelen er at fordelingen av administrativt og faglig ansvar skaper flere spenninger for studieprogramledernes hverdag. I konklusjonen argumenteres det for at studieprogramledelse er en aktivitet rammet inn av en rekke administrative krav, forventninger og rutiner. For å sikre at studieprogramledere faktisk kan utøve sin lederrolle må derfor institusjonene kritisk vurdere hvordan utvikling av studieprogrammers drift organiseres.

• Frølich, Nicoline; Christensen, Tom & Stensaker, Bjørn (2018). Strengthening the strategic capacity of public universities: The role of internal governance models. Public Policy and Administration. ISSN 0952-0767. 34(4), p. 475–493. doi: 10.1177/0952076718762041. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Governments in Europe have emphasized the development of more autonomous public universities over the last couple of decades. Often, the aim of these reform policies has been to stimulate to a more competitive and agile higher education sector, where increased formal autonomy is perceived as a key condition to strengthen the strategic capacity of universities. These reforms have resulted in considerable shifts in the internal governance models of some universities, while others have kept their traditional governance models. In this article, instrumental and cultural perspectives derived from organizational theory are used as lenses to compare how universities with different internal governance models organize and structure their strategic development processes. Our findings suggest that internal governance models have little impact on the design and organization of strategic processes. In conclusion, it is argued that changes in internal governance arrangements alone are not enough to drive transformation in higher education institutions, and the issue of formal institutional autonomy is intimately linked to how various policy instruments at the system level are designed and coordinated.

• Vukasovic, Martina & Stensaker, Bjørn (2018). University alliances in the Europe of knowledge: Positions, agendas and practices in policy processes. European Educational Research Journal. 17(3), p. 349–364. doi: 10.1177/1474904117724572. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Several university alliances have been established in Europe in an attempt to influence the development of policies in research and education. As such, these alliances can be seen as being new players in the increasingly complex multi-actor, multi-level governance in this policy domain. The paper compares two key university alliances in Europe; in particular, how membership differences are related to their positions in the policy arena, their policy agendas and their policy formation and lobbying practices. The study contributes to understanding of, first, the role of university alliances in European level policy processes concerning higher education and research; and, second, the implications their involvement might have for future shaping of European initiatives in the knowledge domain.

• Fumasoli, Tatiana; Stensaker, Bjørn & Vukasovic, Martina (2018). Tackling the multi-actor and multi-level complexity of European governance of knowledge: Transnational actors in focus. European Educational Research Journal. 17(3), p. 325–334. doi: 10.1177/1474904117742763. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This special issue is one of the first systematic attempts to map and investigate relevant transnational actors in European knowledge governance, highlighting the differences and commonalities in their structures, identities, and roles, as well as the links in which they are embedded, and the influence they can exert in knowledge policy formation. The introduction sets the stage for five empirical contributions focusing on different types of actors – an expert group, two university alliances, three student unions, the academic associations, and an advocacy coalition of individuals with strong institutional positions in one national science policy system. It provides an overview of various theoretical perspectives informing these studies, explores connections between them and discusses implications for a future research agenda. The introduction demonstrates how transnational actors matter for the European governance of knowledge, and calls for a cross-fertilization of different disciplinary perspectives, in particular comparative politics and organizational sociology, as a way forward.

• Jensen, Karen; Fumasoli, Tatiana & Stensaker, Bjørn (2018). Shadow organising: emerging stakeholder collaboration in higher education to enhance quality. Journal of Further and Higher Education. ISSN 0309-877X. 44(4), p. 365–377. doi: 10.1080/0309877X.2018.1541975. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Much research is currently addressing how to establish, maintain and govern stakeholder collaboration in higher education. In this article, the concept of shadow organising, i.e. stakeholder imitation of formal educational provision, is introduced to illustrate bottom-up, proactive ways to connect multiple autonomous organisations and stakeholder groups within and outside universities (such as professional bodies, employers and student unions). The article exemplifies the concept of shadow organising by analysing emerging stakeholder collaboration in legal education. The case illustrates the collaborative but informal efforts of a range of supporting actors. The results show that the actors are connected to each other through concrete and practical actions, instead of agreements, regulations or partnerships, which have stabilised into a widespread latticework of interlinked activities: training law students, hiring law graduates, supervising learning processes and instituting quality control. Simultaneously, however, actors maintain their distinctive roles, identities and mandates without initiating official collaboration or a common discussion of objectives and rationales.

• Stensaker, Bjørn; Lee, Jenny; Rhoades, Gary; Ghosh, Sowmya; Castiello-Gutièrrez, Santiago & Vance, Hillary [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2018). Stratified University Strategies: The shaping of institutional legitimacy in a global perspective. Journal of Higher Education. ISSN 0022-1546. 90(4), p. 539–562. doi: 10.1080/00221546.2018.1513306. Full text in Research Archive
• Leiber, Theodor; Stensaker, Bjørn & Harvey, Lee (2018). Bridging theory and practice of impact evaluation of quality management in higher education institutions: a SWOT analysis. European Journal of Higher Education. ISSN 2156-8235. 8(3), p. 351–365. doi: 10.1080/21568235.2018.1474782. Full text in Research Archive
• Stensaker, Bjørn (2018). Universitets- og høyskolepedagogikk i lys av historiske og internasjonale utviklingstrekk. Uniped - Tidsskrift for universitets- og høgskolepedagogikk. ISSN 1500-4538. 41(3), p. 206–216. doi: 10.18261/issn.1893-8981-2018-03-03. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Universitets- og høyskolepedagogikk (UH-ped) er en aktivitet som har utviklet seg voldsomt de siste tiårene. Fra å være en aktivitet forbeholdt noen få land og institusjoner, er UH-ped blitt en etablert praksis i mange land. Artikkelen gjennomgår sentrale faser i denne utviklingsprosessen, men hovedvekten er likevel knyttet til de normative, praksisrelaterte og organisatoriske dilemmaer som UH-peden møter i stadig mer komplekse og profesjonelle utdanningsinstitusjoner – internasjonalt så vel som i Norge. Artikkelen konkluderer med at UH-ped som aktivitet er mer etterspurt enn noen gang før, men at denne etterspørselen også utfordrer grensene for hva som tradisjonelt har vært oppfattet som kjernen i UH-peden.

• Stensaker, Bjørn; Frølich, Nicoline & Aamodt, Per O (2018). Policy, Perceptions, and Practice: A Study of Educational Leadership and Their Balancing of Expectations and Interests at Micro-level. Higher Education Policy. ISSN 0952-8733. p. 1–18. doi: 10.1057/s41307-018-0115-7. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  As international and domestic policy initiatives continue to sweep over higher education, it is of utmost importance to study how those responsible for the implementation of the many initiatives taken perceive and respond to the many expectations about change and renewal. Through three different analytical perspectives — a managerial, a disciplinary, and a stakeholder perspective — the current article offers insights into how educational leaders responsible for the management of study programmes at micro-level interpret external expectations and how they prioritize between them. Based on data derived from a representative sample of Norwegian educational leaders, the current article finds — somewhat surprisingly — that the managerial perspective is less relevant for understanding the sense-making of educational leaders and how they prioritize between different tasks in their daily work. Disciplinary and the stakeholder perspectives are in this respect more relevant for explaining the practices related to programme management. The study provides indications of a (continued) gap between macro-level policy-making and its implementation at micro-level. In the conclusion, the findings are reflected upon and implications for policy and practice are outlined.

• Stensaker, Bjørn (2018). University Alliances: Enhancing Control, Capacity, and Creativity in Dynamic Environments. Educational Studies Moscow. ISSN 1814-9545. 13(1), p. 132–153. doi: 10.17323/1814-9545-2018-1-132-153. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  During the last few decades a high number of university alliances and strategic partnerships between higher education institutions have been established all over the world. This development can be interpreted in different ways and the article offer some theoretical perspectives relevant to understanding the emergence of and the engagement in institutional collaborations, and how such collaboration affects the field of higher education. The article argues that alliances between universities are ways to enhance organizational capacity but also to take control of more competitive environments. Furthermore, alliances and partnerships can also be seen as the means to enhance organizational creativity and innovation in more organic ways. The paper gives an empirical illustration of how alliances develop and transform over time, and discusses possible long-term implications of alliance formation in the higher education sector.

• Ozolins, Modris; Stensaker, Bjørn; Gaile-Sarkaane, Elina; Ivanova, Liene; Lapina, Inga & Ozolina-Ozola, Iveta [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2018). Institutional attention to European policy agendas: exploring the relevance of instrumental and neo-institutional explanations. Tertiary Education and Management. ISSN 1358-3883. 24(4), p. 338–350. doi: 10.1080/13583883.2018.1459820. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This article addresses how European policy initiatives in higher education, research and innovation are diffused in the European higher education research and education area. Based on an instrumental and an institutional perspective, specific expectations are developed as to how policy diffusion might unfold, and, through an in-depth analysis of the strategic plans of 19 higher education institutions in Latvia and Norway, the article identifies factors that potentially mediate European policies into the strategic agenda of universities and colleges. The findings show that European Union membership and policy area seems to matter for the attention given to European policy initiatives, while administrative capacity at institutional level have less or quite mixed effects. The article concludes that both instrumental and institutional perspectives are of value in explaining how European policy diffusion takes place.

• Hovdhaugen, Elisabeth & Stensaker, Bjørn (2018). Variation in student success across Europe: Exploring the relevance of system-level explanations. International Journal of Chinese Education. ISSN 2212-585X. 7(2), p. 229–245. doi: 10.1163/22125868-12340099. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Student success is often defined as students completing their degree, preferably within the estimated time to degree. However, if we apply this definition, student success is quite varied if we compare countries in Europe (OECD Education at a Glance 2013, Vossensteyn et al. 2015). The article identifies and discusses some system-level factors that is often mentioned as possible explanations of these differences including costs, selection and admission system differences and the structuring of higher education offerings, and the relationship between higher education and the labour market. However, based on existing data, the identified system-level factors do not correlate with the empirical variation in student success, and the article ends with some reflections about future research needs to advance the knowledge about student success.

• Abualrub, Iyad & Stensaker, Bjørn (2018). How are universities responding to demands for improved learning environments? Journal of Further and Higher Education. ISSN 0309-877X. 42(5), p. 721–732. doi: 10.1080/0309877X.2017.1311991. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Globally, universities are currently facing increased external demands to strengthen and develop their learning environments. The article examines how a sample of Norwegian universities responds to governmental demands concerning establishing good learning environments. Based on document analysis and interviews, the article demonstrates that the concept of the learning environment seems to be interpreted and implemented in a standardised way and that institutional work in this area might suffer from a decoupling between ‘administrative’ and ‘academic’ responsibilities. Furthermore, the analysis shows that the universities studied to a great extent seem to rely on copying and imitating understandings of the concept instead of using it to develop more specific and uniquely local practices. In conclusion, the article calls for more attention to the consequences of specific organisational solutions, and it is argued that more attention should be given to identifying factors that enable or constrain how universities handle external pressure for change. The final version of this research has been published in the Journal of Further and Higher Education. © 2017 Taylor & Francis

• Stensaker, Bjørn (2018). Quality assurance and the battle for legitimacy - Discourses, Disputes and Dependencies. Higher Education Evaluation and Development (HEED). ISSN 2514-5789. 12(2), p. 54–62. doi: 10.1108/HEED-10-2018-0024. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to address how issues of legitimacy are influencing the functioning and shaping of the field. The paper identifies key global agendas currently linked to the role of QA in the governance of higher education, the dependencies among key actors within the field and the possible directions of QA in the years to come. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on existing studies on external quality assurance (EQA) and provides a meta-reflection on current trends and dynamics within the field. Findings: The paper argues that the field of EQA is facing a rather turbulent future, both due to increasing competition from other actors that also claim ownership to issues related to quality, and from national authorities which are looking for ways to increase the efficiency and the effectiveness of how the higher education sector is governed. Research limitations/implications: Studies on EQA need to be strongly linked to studies of governance in higher education as such a link will broaden the understanding of how the field of quality assurance is developing. Practical implications: The paper provides some hints as to how agencies may position themselves in a more insecure future. Originality/value: An original contribution is made by linking theories of how legitimacy is developed and shaped to the field of quality assurance.

• Pinheiro, Romulo & Stensaker, Bjørn (2018). Balancing efficiency and equity in a welfare state setting: High participation higher education in Norway. In Cantwell, Brendan; Marginson, Simon & Smolentseva, Anna (Ed.), High Participation Systems of Higher Education. Oxford University Press. ISSN 9780198828877. p. 386–417. doi: 10.1093/oso/9780198828877.003.0014. Full text in Research Archive
• Jungblut, Jens; Stensaker, Bjørn & Vukasovic, Martina (2018). What kind of quality assurance leads to improved performance and accountability? The views of European students. In Hazelkorn, Ellen; Coates, Hamish & McCormick, Alexander C. (Ed.), Research Handbook on Quality, Performance and Accountability in Higher Education. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISSN 9781785369742. p. 321–331. doi: 10.4337/9781785369759.00034. Full text in Research Archive

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• Elken, Mari; Maassen, Peter; Nerland, Monika; Prøitz, Tine Sophie; Stensaker, Bjørn & Vabø, Agnete (2020). Quality Work in Higher Education. Organisational and Pedagogical Dimensions. Springer. ISBN 9783030417567. 186 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Karakhanyan, Susanna & Stensaker, Bjørn (2020). Global Trends in Higher Education Quality Assurance. Brill | Sense. ISBN 9789004440319. 348 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Teixeira, Pedro N.; Shin, J C; Amaral, Alberto; Bernasconi, A; Magalhães, António & Kehm, Barbara [Show all 20 contributors for this article] (2020). Encyclopedia of International Higher Education Systems and Institutions. Springer Nature. ISBN 9789401789042. 2767 p. Full text in Research Archive

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• Waechtler, Kimberley; Stensaker, Bjørn & Elken, Mari (2026). Governing European University Alliances: The Hybridisation of Projects and Permanence. Full text in Research Archive
• Elken, Mari & Stensaker, Bjørn (2026). Organisations within organisations: the organisational construction of centres of excellence in research. Full text in Research Archive
• Børrud, Elin; Slette, Aslaug Louise; Stensaker, Bjørn & Skule, Sveinung (2026). Panelsamtale: "Fra politikk til praksis: Hvordan sikrer vi fremragende utdanning (for en bærekraftig fremtid)? Rammevilkårene for pedagogisk utviklingsarbeid versus forskning.". doi: https:/uni.oslomet.no/sdgconference/. Full text in Research Archive
• Slette, Aslaug Louise; Skålholt, Asgeir; Stensaker, Bjørn & Hildrum, Jarle Moss (2025). Kunnskapsfloker S3E1: Arbeidslivsrelevans - fra cand.mag. til KI. doi: https:/pod.space/kunnskapsfloker. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I episoden dykker vi ned i hvordan begrepet arbeidslivsrelevans kan forstås, både i og etter studiene. Vi diskuterer behovet for både generiske og fagspesifikke ferdigheter, og mimrer tilbake til den gamle cand.mag.-graden, samtidig som vi ser på hvordan kunstig intelligens endrer arbeidslivet for nyutdannede. Vi kommer også inn på debatten om “tullestudier”. Gjester i episoden er Bjørn Stensaker, professor ved UiO med bistilling ved NIFU, og Jarle Moss Hildrum, direktør i Deloitte. Programledere er Aslaug Louise Slette og Asgeir Skålholt fra NIFU.

• Slette, Aslaug Louise; Stensaker, Bjørn; Krogh, Christen; Sværi, Sander Josephson; Offerdal, Kristine & Hildrum, Jarle Moss [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2025). Panelsamtale. Er høyere utdanning tilstrekkelig arbeidslivsrelevant? Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Er høyere utdanning tilstrekkelig arbeidslivsrelevant? Det er økende oppmerksomhet om at utdanninger skal være relevante for arbeidslivet. Men hva legges i begrepet arbeidslivsrelevans? Tenker arbeidsgivere for snevert om hva slags utdanninger som kan være relevante for en jobb? Og hvordan forholder universiteter og høyskoler seg til økte relevanskrav? Du møter: Christen Krogh, rektor ved OsloMet Sander Sværi, rektor ved Oslo Nye Høyskole Bjørn Stensaker, viserektor for utdanning ved UiO Jarle Moss Hildrum, direktør ved Deloitte Consulting Anja Johansen, leder for utdanningspolitikk ved Abelia Kristine Offerdal, divisjonsdirektør i HK-dir Aslaug Louise Slette, NIFU, leder samtalen

• Røkenes, Fredrik Mørk; Stensaker, Bjørn; Vinje, Kristin; Slette, Aslaug Louise & Klungland, Sondre Matthias (2024). Panelsamtale: Innovasjon for utdanningskvalitet - hva fungerer? Full text in Research Archive
• Woelert, Peter & Stensaker, Bjørn (2024). Strategic Bureaucracy: The Convergence of Bureaucratic and Strategic Management Logics in the Organizational Restructuring of Universities. Minerva. ISSN 0026-4695. doi: 10.1007/s11024-024-09535-1. Full text in Research Archive
• Stensaker, Bjørn & Damsa, Crina I. (2022). Digitalisering av utdanning – før, under og etter pandemien. Khrono.no. ISSN 1894-8995. Full text in Research Archive
• Hermansen, Hege & Stensaker, Bjørn (2022). Symbolic, Institutional or Nordic Visions? Nordic universities and the SDGs. Full text in Research Archive
• Frølich, Nicoline; Bleiklie, Ivar & Stensaker, Bjørn (2021). The actual work of university leaders. Short paper accepted to be presented to sub-theme 71. Full text in Research Archive
• Frølich, Nicoline; Vukasovic, Martina; Elken, Mari & Stensaker, Bjørn (2021). Pressing problems in researching structural reforms and mergers in higher education. Full text in Research Archive
• Jongbloed, Ben; Boer, Harry de; Stensaker, Bjørn & Elken, Mari (2020). Performance Agreements in Denmark, Ontario and the Netherlands. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Several countries have gained experience with some form of performance agreements in higher education. The Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS) of the University of Twente has conducted a review of the performance agreements found in three countries: Denmark, the Netherlands and Ontario (Canada). The lessons learned in these three countries may be used as inputs for discussions on the future of the performance agreements in Norwegian higher education. The full report describes the three systems in more detail (Jongbloed & de Boer 2020). This Policy Brief summarises the findings and provides guidance for the design of performance agreements.

• Langford, Malcolm Stroud; Larsen, Johanna Marie; Damsa, Crina I. & Stensaker, Bjørn (2020). Nå trenger vi en krisepakke for undervisningen til høsten. Khrono.no. ISSN 1894-8995. Full text in Research Archive
• Wiers-Jenssen, Jannecke & Stensaker, Bjørn (2020). Hvilke formål bør Studiebarometeret tjene? [Internet]. Khrono. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Kronikk som diskuterer hvilke formål den nasjonale studentundersøkelsen Studiebarometeret bør tjene

• Elken, Mari & Stensaker, Bjørn (2018). All student-centered now? Analyzing institutional teaching and learning policies in Scandinavia. Full text in Research Archive
• Elken, Mari; Frølich, Nicoline; Maassen, Peter & Stensaker, Bjørn (2018). Organizing quality work in higher education institutions. Full text in Research Archive
• Elken, Mari; Maassen, Peter; Nerland, Monika; Stensaker, Bjørn & Vabø, Agnete (2018). Sentrale funn og anbefalinger fra QNHE prosjektet. Full text in Research Archive
• Maassen, Peter; Jungblut, Jens; Stensaker, Bjørn; Griffith, Rachel Mary & Rosso, Ariana (2023). Navigating competition and collaboration - The way forward for universities. Koerber Stiftung. Full text in Research Archive
• Stensaker, Bjørn; Winka, Katarina; Pettersson, Eva; Andersen, Hanne Leth; Hatlen, Jan Frode & Bjørnsdatter, Oda [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2021). Anerkjennelse av individuell kompetanse og organisatorisk kulturutvikling - på samme tid? Evaluering av UiTs meritteringsordning. UiT Norges arktiske universitet. Full text in Research Archive
• Kvalø, Øystein Kolstad; Langford, Malcolm; Stensaker, Bjørn; Stokke, Mira Sofie; Uehara, Dan & Westbye, Hilde (2021). Hjemmeeksamen i koronatiden: Et taktskifte blant jusstudenter. CELL: Centre on Experiential Legal Learning. Full text in Research Archive
• Kvalø, Øystein Kolstad; Langford, Malcolm; Stensaker, Bjørn; Stokke, Mira Sofie; Uehara, Dan & Westbye, Hilde (2020). Hjemmeeksamen i koronatiden: Evaluering av obligatoriske eksamener. CELL: Centre on Experiential Legal Learning. Full text in Research Archive
• Elken, Mari & Stensaker, Bjørn (2020). Innovative practices in higher education quality assurance : A study of new activities, tasks and roles in six quality assurance agencies in Europe. NIFU Nordisk institutt for studier av innovasjon, forskning og utdanning. ISSN 9788232704927. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The main purpose of this project is to explore both recent developments and possible future trajectories for quality assurance. The study finds that despite increased emphasis on international developments, the agencies analysed in the present study show a strong national orientation; they are still under substantial control of and influenced by national authorities – often resulting in new tasks and responsibilities for the agencies.

• Christiansen, Helene Aalborg; Hereid, Ingrid Sofie Wold & Stensaker, Bjørn (2020). Psykologistudentenes opplevelse av digital undervisning - en kvalitativ undersøkelse gjennomført november 2020. LINK - Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive
• Maassen, Peter; Andreadakis, Zacharias; Gulbrandsen, Magnus & Stensaker, Bjørn (2019). The Place of Universities in Society. Körber Stiftung. Full text in Research Archive
• Aamodt, Per O; Hybertsen, Ingunn Dahler; Røsdal, Trude; Stensaker, Bjørn; Caspersen, Joakim & Federici, Roger Andre (2019). Evaluering av den nasjonale rektorutdanningen 2015-2019. Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet. ISSN 9788275706049. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  ​Dette er sluttrapport i evalueringen av den nasjonale rektorutdanningen i perioden fra 2015 til 2019. I rapporten følger vi opp mange av de samme resultatene fra de to delrapportene fra 2017 og 2018, særlig deltagerundersøkelsen som hvert kull har mottatt ved starten og i etterkant av utdanningen. Den kvantitative undersøkelsen inkluderer også kontrollutvalg. Den kvalitative undersøkelsen omfatter et utvalg case-skoler med tre besøk over tid og analyser av intervjudata samlet inn fra skoleledere, lærere og skoleeiere. I tillegg har vi gjennomført intervjuer med to av tilbyderne, og samlet inn skriftlige sluttoppgaver fra et utvalg deltakere​.

• Caspersen, Joakim; Aamodt, Per O; Stensaker, Bjørn & Federici, Roger Andre (2018). Evaluering av den nasjonale rektorutdanningen 2015-2019 Delrapport 2. NTNU Samfunnsforskning. ISSN 9788275705530. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Arbeidet i skolene er i stadig endring. Endringene skyldes en rekke årsaker: politisk vektlegging av ulike verktøy i skolens arbeid (Skedsmo & Mausethagen, 2017), nye lærerroller som lærerspesialister skaper nye spenningsforhold og mellomposisjoner mellom skoleledere og lærere (Seland, Caspersen, Markussen, & Sandsør, 2017), demografiske endringer som følge av innvandring og økt heterogenitet gir nye utfordringer for skolen og systemene rundt (Pihl, 2010), elevers psykiske helse settes under lupen og løftes frem som viktig tema (Uthus, 2017) og teknologi og digitalisering gir både muligheter og utfordringer som må løses (Gilje, 2017). Slike endringer, og mange andre, setter nye krav til alle som arbeider i skolene, og i stor grad til dem som skal lede arbeidet i skolene. Skolelederne, og særlig rektorene, skal lede sine ansatte til endring, og ha pedagogisk og administrativ kontroll over virksomheten. Til dette må de rustes, og det er innsatsen for å ruste rektorene (og andre skoleledere) som er under lupen i evalueringen som denne rapporten er en del av.

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