Neoliberalism Discourse in Higher Education: The Case of Lithuania
Neoliberalism Discourse in Higher Education: The Case of Lithuania
Tuesday, 8 July 2025
Location: SJES028 (Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences (JES))
Distributed Paper
Neoliberalism has become one of the central topics in the sociology of higher education. Following the ideas of Henry Giroux and Michael Apple, neoliberalism prioritises economic criteria, neglecting democratic and community ideals. In Europe, this economic emphasis is tied to the concept of the knowledge-based economy (KBE), which links higher education to economic competitiveness by emphasising human capital and innovation (Jessop, Fairclough, and Wodak 2008). The universities are expected to produce profitable knowledge and workers who can quickly adapt to today's flexible international labour markets, with criticisms for being rigid, slow, and disconnected from practice.
In this context, the concept of "capability" emerges, representing the measurable learning outputs that universities produce, which are then commodified in the labour market. This paper examines the conceptualisation and operationalisation of neoliberalism in Lithuanian higher education discourse, informed by critical discourse analysis (CDA) perspectives on KBE and Pierre Bourdieu's concept of symbolic power.
I explore how international neoliberal frameworks are adapted in local contexts by analysing Lithuanian higher education policy documents, academic literature, and news media using qualitative and quantitative document analysis. It is clear that common neoliberal topics, such as the emphasis on competitiveness, data-driven quality assurance, and human capital discourse, prevail in Lithuania. Additionally, social justice is often framed in terms of economic efficiency and the needs of the knowledge economy.
This study highlights the challenges of operationalising neoliberal concepts in a small, post-Soviet country and offers insights into the global-local dynamics of higher education reform.
In this context, the concept of "capability" emerges, representing the measurable learning outputs that universities produce, which are then commodified in the labour market. This paper examines the conceptualisation and operationalisation of neoliberalism in Lithuanian higher education discourse, informed by critical discourse analysis (CDA) perspectives on KBE and Pierre Bourdieu's concept of symbolic power.
I explore how international neoliberal frameworks are adapted in local contexts by analysing Lithuanian higher education policy documents, academic literature, and news media using qualitative and quantitative document analysis. It is clear that common neoliberal topics, such as the emphasis on competitiveness, data-driven quality assurance, and human capital discourse, prevail in Lithuania. Additionally, social justice is often framed in terms of economic efficiency and the needs of the knowledge economy.
This study highlights the challenges of operationalising neoliberal concepts in a small, post-Soviet country and offers insights into the global-local dynamics of higher education reform.
Jessop, Bob, Norman Fairclough, and Ruth Wodak (Eds.). 2008. ‘Education and the Knowledge-Based Economy in Europe’. In Education and the Knowledge-Based Economy in Europe. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.