Systematic Review Examines Ombuds Institutions in European Higher Education

Jorge A. Ribeiro-Pereira, the former Student Ombudsman at the Universidade da Beira Interior in Portugal, is one of three authors of a new study examining Ombuds institutions in European higher education. The chapter, “Conceptualizing Ombudsman Institutions in European Higher Education Area: Analytical Models from a Systematic Literature Review,” appears in Openness: A Mission Challenged published by Brill last month. Ribeiro-Pereira, Ana I. Melo, and Teresa Carvalho reviewed the scholarly literature on higher-education Ombuds in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), examining how different institutional models relate to the governance and autonomy of higher-education institutions. 

Here is the abstract:

The concept of the Ombudsman has been extensively researched in the context of National/Parliamentary initiatives, yet its adaptation to higher education (HE) remains underexplored. This systematic literature review (SLR) aims to analyse the models, roles, tools, and legal foundations of the Ombudsman Institution in HE within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). A systematic search was conducted using the SCOPUS database to identify peer-reviewed articles addressing Ombudsman Institutions in HE across the EHEA. 

The findings indicate that while some characteristics of Ombudsman arrangements in the EHEA resemble patterns described in other regions, important context-specific configurations persist. In particular, the diversity of institutional and centralized models reflects different approaches to autonomy, oversight and governance in higher education systems. The analysis also highlights how similar roles and tools may be associated with different institutional logics, underscoring the importance of examining Ombudsman Institutions as context-dependent configurations rather than uniform institutional forms. 

This review provides an overview of the scientific knowledge on Ombudsman Institutions in the EHEA, highlighting their evolution, diversity, and governance implications and establishes a foundation for future comparative research and policy development, particularly regarding how different models align with broader HE governance systems. 

Ribeiro-Pereira is a frequent speaker at international Ombuds conferences and contributed to IOA's first book. (Brill.) 

Related posts: ENOHE Webinar to Explore Student Input and Higher Ed Governance; Centre for Informal Dispute Resolution Opens Registration for First Ombuds Conference; ENOHE Publishes 2024 Yearbook; IOA Publishes Long-Awaited Ombuds Book.