Changing Structures and Landscapes in Higher Education

This review examines significant transformations in Western higher education over recent decades, with a focus on institutional restructuring, academic work patterns, and the socio-economic impacts of neoliberal governance. It critically assesses three key works which explores social stratification and academic productivity across European institutions, focusing on governance shifts driven by neoliberal and New Public Management ideologies; and investigates the commodification of knowledge. Together, many studies reveal how market-driven policies have reshaped higher education, fostering competitive, resource-dependent environments. Such policies, including the Bologna Process, have amplified global influences, standardized frameworks, and sparked debates on academic freedom, inequality, and institutional autonomy. This review provides a longitudinal perspective on the convergence of academic tradition and market dynamics, emphasizing the nuanced roles of governance structures, social stratification, and productivity metrics in shaping modern higher education landscapes.