Ritual deliberation as mechanisms of legitimation in higher education reforms in Poland (2006–2024)

Abstract

This article explores the role of deliberation in shaping science and higher education policies in Poland between 2006 and 2024. Drawing on qualitative research and policy document analysis, it reconstructs the trajectories of key reforms, their implementation, and evaluation practices. The study focuses on institutional tensions, limited expert dialogue, and power asymmetries between academic actors and public administration. It argues that the contestation around reforms reflects broader issues of legitimacy in both expert and political authority. Strengthening the deliberative dimension of policymaking is presented as essential for building sustainable and credible reform processes. A contribution to research on public policies is the conceptualisation of the category of ritual deliberation as a distinct mechanism legitimising cycles of systemic transformation. The proposed framework enables the identification of situations in which formal participatory procedures coexist with centralised control over decision-making and knowledge.