GOVERNANCE THROUGH THE MARKET AND THE STATE: POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION IN ARGENTINA

INTRODUCTION. Most higher education systems in developing and developed countries have experienced changes in their governance structure. In postgraduate education in Argentina those changes signaled a move towards an increasing role of the state as a steering agent and of the market to enhance competition. In both cases such reinforcement has been at the expense of traditional academic power. METHOD. A regulatory space approach analysis based on archival research of the postgraduate education regulatory framework coupled with data on programs. RESULTS. The data analysis shows sharp differences between Argentina's pre-regulatory and post-regulatory reality. Regulation through accreditation is devised to tackle information asymmetry and to inform students who are conceived of as individual "clients". This is implemented through the official, voluntary ranking of postgraduate programs. The state plays an increasing role as regulator for competition, modifying existing patterns of governance in the higher education system, mostly at the postgraduate level. DISCUSSION. In a context of increasing changes in higher education governance there is growing evidence that despite national variations, systems are moving toward more reliance on market-friendly strategies. Still, little is known about the manner in which the institutions at the postgraduate sub-level are responding to recent challenges brought about by these new governance structures.