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Early Career Researchers as Stakeholders in University Decision‐Making in Europe: Comparative Perspectives

Author

Listed:
  • Liudvika Leišytė

    (Center for Higher Education, TU Dortmund University, Germany)

  • Ivana Načinović Braje

    (Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Zagreb, Croatia)

  • Shulamit Almog

    (Faculty of Law, University of Haifa, Israel)

  • Sultan Baysan

    (Department of Social Studies Education, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Türkiye)

  • Teresa Carvalho

    (University of Aveiro, Portugal / CIPES, Portugal)

  • Dovilė Daunoraitė

    (Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Lithuania)

  • Sara Diogo

    (University of Aveiro, Portugal / CIPES, Portugal)

  • Panourgias Papaioannou

    (Center for Higher Education, TU Dortmund University, Germany)

  • Anna Farmaki

    (Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus)

  • Shlomit Feldman

    (Faculty of Law, University of Haifa, Israel)

  • Rakibe Külcür

    (University College London, UK)

  • Inga Matijošytė

    (Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Lithuania)

  • Sandra Pralgauskaitė

    (Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy, Vilnius University, Lithuania)

  • Vanya Rangelova

    (Department of Epidemiology and Disaster Medicine, Medical University Plovdiv, Bulgaria)

  • Dalia Šatkovskienė

    (Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy, Vilnius University, Lithuania)

Abstract

The voices of academics have traditionally been strong in university decision‐making bodies, where they participated in the shared governance of the university. It has been customary for senior academics to be represented in managing bodies and to exercise control over the key areas of strategy, finance, quality assurance, study programs, and/or human resources. With the new public management reforms that have swept through higher education (HE) systems, the power of academics has been reduced, while managerial guidance has increased, alongside the fostering of universities’ institutional autonomy. At the same time, the power of other stakeholders, such as students or industry representatives, has also been increasing as part and parcel of the governance reforms, albeit to different degrees and at different paces across various HE systems. In this context, this article seeks to examine the role that early career researchers (ECRs) play in university decision‐making bodies across different countries as internal stakeholders. The research is based on seven case studies from seven European and East Mediterranean countries drawing on documentary data and 55 semi‐structured interviews with ECRs and 14 managers, carried out in 2023–2024. Following stakeholder categories distinguished on the basis of their legitimacy, urgency, and power, this article investigates the extent to which ECRs perceive their voices to be heard. The findings show variance between the case studies regarding formal representation, with most universities in the study having limited representation of ECRs in university and faculty/school‐level decision‐making bodies. The voices of ECRs, however, are heard in informal ways.

Suggested Citation

  • Liudvika Leišytė & Ivana Načinović Braje & Shulamit Almog & Sultan Baysan & Teresa Carvalho & Dovilė Daunoraitė & Sara Diogo & Panourgias Papaioannou & Anna Farmaki & Shlomit Feldman & Rakibe Külcür &, 2026. "Early Career Researchers as Stakeholders in University Decision‐Making in Europe: Comparative Perspectives," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 14.
  • Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v14:y:2026:a:9683
    DOI: 10.17645/si.9683
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