Dr. Bruno Broucker & Dr. Kurt de Wit

Despite the numerous Higher Education system reforms, it seems that Higher Education does not reach its full potential and that further reform is necessary. New Public Management, as a paradigm whereupon reforms have been built, has limited the potential for public value creation, necessitating a new model. With a systematic literature review the presentation provides (1) insight into the flaws of NPM, (2) an understanding of public value for HE, and (3) a new model for reform, with inclusion of the concept of public value. Derived from this model, a research agenda is formulated.

Bruno Broucker (PhD Social Sciences) is assistant professor at the KU Leuven Public Governance Institute, Belgium. He is an expert in public management and public governance including change management, leadership and HRM in the public sector. Over the last ten years he has been involved with several public sector related research projects regarding educational effectiveness and knowledge transfer, change management, reforms in the federal Belgian Judicial system, work load measurement and quality measurement. Between 2010 and 2013 he was affiliated to the KU Leuven Education Policy and Quality Department as an expert and policy advisor regarding Higher Education. His current research topics are change management, leadership, local public sector reform, and higher education policy and governance. His most recent publications include articles in Higher Education Policy, and the European Educational Research Journal.

Kurt De Wit, PhD in Sociology, is head of the Data Management Unit of the Education Policy and Quality Department at the University of Leuven (KU Leuven) in Belgium. In that function he carries out institutional research regarding students and education and monitors national and European higher education policy. He also serves on the Executive Council of the Flemish Sociological Association and was editor-in-chief of its peer-reviewed journal (2010-2013). His current research interests include education innovation policy in higher education, the roles of ICT for university students, international rankings of higher education institutions, governance and funding of higher education, and the development of the network society and its consequences for higher education. His most recent publications include papers in Computers and Education, Education and Information Technologies, and the European Educational Research Journal.