University autonomy as national identity

Abstract

University autonomy, as a constitutive principle of the higher education system in our country, acquired constitutional status in the 1994 reform of the national charter. Three decades later, it continues to play a sustained role in controversies and public debate, especially following the enactment of the University Financing Law and the subsequent presidential veto. This piece offers a review of the historical background, the momentum behind the 1994 constitutional reform, and its current relevance.