ANALYSIS: BETWEEN EUROPEAN STANDARDIZATION AND THE DILEMMA OF UNIVERSITY AUTONOMY

The Law on Higher Education represents one of the main pillars of the educational and scientific system in the Republic of North Macedonia. It regulates university autonomy, institutional organization, academic quality, and the relationship between the state and higher education institutions.

The new draft Law on Higher Education, made public in January 2026, represents a broader reform than a simple technical amendment to the existing law adopted in 2018 and consolidated in 2024. The proposed changes aim to harmonize the university system with European quality assurance standards, strengthen the link between higher education and scientific research, and introduce new mechanisms for institutional evaluation and the functioning of doctoral studies.

This comparative analysis identifies the key differences between the current law and the draft law, focusing on conceptual, institutional, and procedural changes that directly affect university autonomy, academic governance, and the development of the higher education system.

The full analysis can be found below: