The Italian university system’s transition towards a formally entrepreneurial, substantially neo-centralist governance model

The Italian University system’s transition towards a model of entrepreneurial governance is examined in this paper. First, the main historical evolution of the Italian university system is illustrated. Secondly, the paper focuses on the transition to an entrepreneurial governance model, along New Public Management lines, which was formally reached with the implementation of Law 240/2010. Thirdly, we focus on the recent changes affecting the recruitment and evaluation of university lecturers and more generally, of the university’s performance, trying to argument how under a formal appearance of an autonomous entrepreneurial system of universities lies a core of neo-centralistic orientations and practices. The paper is based on documentary research and on a number of privileged witness-interviews with members of the Department of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Florence.