{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,19]],"date-time":"2025-10-19T00:11:33Z","timestamp":1760832693947,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,18]],"date-time":"2025-10-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1760745600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,18]],"date-time":"2025-10-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1760745600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100002341","name":"Research Council of Finland","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["340267"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["340267"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100002341","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["UIDB\/04107\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/04107\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Tampere University"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["High Educ"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n          <jats:p>Finnish higher education and science policy has been characterised as corporatist, but reforms after the 1990s have created conditions for a more network-based governance mode of policymaking. These networks empower various stakeholders to participate in policy processes, but they also allow the government, particularly the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC), to promote the government\u2019s interests in and govern through stakeholder networks. In this paper, we ask what kind of network the government (the MEC) uses in higher education and science policymaking, and how it uses the network. We examined a network of organisations that participated in Finnish higher education and science policy in 2012\u20132021 via the working groups of the MEC. Our methods were social network analysis and expert interviews (<jats:italic>N<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u200923). Our results show that the network had a small core set of key actors that consisted of state ministries and agencies, universities and their associations, employer and employee unions, and student unions. The network was centralised around the MEC and stable over time, and it was used for knowledge exchange, interest intermediation, and policy advocacy. These are traits of traditional corporatism. Nevertheless, we found that the MEC played a dual role of a coordinator and stakeholder-lobbyist, reflecting more horizontally equal relationships between the actors, especially at the network\u2019s core, which is characteristic of networked governance.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1007\/s10734-025-01557-2","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,18]],"date-time":"2025-10-18T04:50:51Z","timestamp":1760763051000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Network governance in Finnish higher education and science policy, 2012\u20132021"],"prefix":"10.1007","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3019-9706","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jarmo","family":"Kallunki","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0059-9717","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sofia","family":"Viseu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7876-6645","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paula","family":"Silv\u00e9n","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"1557_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1257","DOI":"10.1080\/13501763.2017.1307438","volume":"25","author":"S Arras","year":"2018","unstructured":"Arras, S., & Braun, C. (2018). Stakeholders wanted! Why and how European Union agencies involve non-state stakeholders. Journal Of European Public Policy, 25, 1257\u20131275.","journal-title":"Journal Of European Public Policy"},{"key":"1557_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kallunki, J., Forsell, J., Silv\u00e9n, P., Eeva, K., & Kauko, J. (2025). Education policymaking at the national level. In N. Kolleck (Ed.), Handbook of social network analysis and education (pp. 521\u2013532). Edward Elgar Publishing.","DOI":"10.4337\/9781035312191.00044"},{"key":"1557_CR3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1022","DOI":"10.1080\/13501763.2014.1000365","volume":"22","author":"AS Binderkrantz","year":"2015","unstructured":"Binderkrantz, A. S., & Christiansen, P. M. (2015). From classic to modern corporatism: Interest group representation in Danish public committees in 1975 and 2010. Journal of European Public Policy, 22, 1022\u20131039.","journal-title":"Journal of European Public Policy"},{"key":"1557_CR4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bogner, A., Littig, B., & Menz, W. (2009). Interviewing experts. PalgraveMacmillan.","DOI":"10.1057\/9780230244276"},{"key":"1557_CR5","unstructured":"Borgatti, S.P., Everett, M.G., & Freeman, L.C. (2002). Ucinet 6 for Windows. Analytic Technologies."},{"key":"1557_CR6","unstructured":"Borgatti, S. P., Everett, M. G., & Johnson, J. C. (2013). Analyzing Social Networks. Sage."},{"key":"1557_CR7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"471","DOI":"10.1080\/13501760801996634","volume":"15","author":"C Boswell","year":"2008","unstructured":"Boswell, C. (2008). The political functions of expert knowledge: Knowledge and legitimation in European Union immigration policy. Journal of European Public Policy, 15, 471\u2013488.","journal-title":"Journal of European Public Policy"},{"key":"1557_CR8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"821","DOI":"10.1093\/scipol\/scx016","volume":"44","author":"J Christensen","year":"2017","unstructured":"Christensen, J., & Holst, C. (2017). Advisory commissions, academic expertise and democratic legitimacy: The case of Norway. Science and Public Policy, 44, 821\u2013833.","journal-title":"Science and Public Policy"},{"key":"1557_CR9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"22","DOI":"10.1007\/s11266-009-9105-0","volume":"21","author":"PM Christiansen","year":"2010","unstructured":"Christiansen, P. M., N\u00f8rgaard, A. S., Rommetvedt, H., Svensson, T., Thesen, G., & \u00d6berg, P. O. (2010). Varieties of democracy: Interest groups and corporatist committees in Scandinavian policy making. Voluntas: International Journal Of Voluntary And Nonprofit Organizations, 21, 22\u201340.","journal-title":"Voluntas: International Journal Of Voluntary And Nonprofit Organizations"},{"key":"1557_CR10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"823","DOI":"10.1007\/s10997-015-9329-x","volume":"20","author":"M Dal Molin","year":"2016","unstructured":"Dal Molin, M., & Masella, C. (2016). Networks in policy, management and governance: A comparative literature review to stimulate future research avenues. Journal of Management & Governance, 20, 823\u2013849.","journal-title":"Journal of Management & Governance"},{"issue":"2","key":"1557_CR11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.1007\/s10734-018-0338-y","volume":"78","author":"D Donina","year":"2019","unstructured":"Donina, D., & Paleari, S. (2019). New public management: Global reform script or conceptual stretching? Analysis of university governance structures in the Napoleonic administrative tradition. Higher Education, 78(2), 193\u2013219.","journal-title":"Higher Education"},{"key":"1557_CR12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"325","DOI":"10.1007\/s10734-008-9125-5","volume":"56","author":"E Ferlie","year":"2008","unstructured":"Ferlie, E., Musselin, C., & Andressani, G. (2008). The steering of higher education systems: A public management perspective. Higher Education, 56, 325\u2013348.","journal-title":"Higher Education"},{"key":"1557_CR13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"48","DOI":"10.1080\/01402382.2011.523544","volume":"34","author":"\u00c5 Gornitzka","year":"2011","unstructured":"Gornitzka, \u00c5., & Sverdrup, U. (2011). Access of experts: Information and EU decision-making. West European Politics, 34, 48\u201370.","journal-title":"West European Politics"},{"key":"1557_CR14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"337","DOI":"10.1111\/gove.12599","volume":"36","author":"S Hesstvedt","year":"2021","unstructured":"Hesstvedt, S., & Christensen, J. (2021). Political and administrative control of expert groups \u2013 A mixed methods study. Governance, 36, 337\u2013357.","journal-title":"Governance"},{"key":"1557_CR15","first-page":"10","volume":"17","author":"A Hunter","year":"2015","unstructured":"Hunter, A., & Boswell, C. (2015). Comparing the political functions of independent commissions: The case of UK migrant integration policy. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, 17, 10\u201325.","journal-title":"Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice"},{"key":"1557_CR16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"455","DOI":"10.1080\/02680939.2020.1717637","volume":"36","author":"AH Kabir","year":"2021","unstructured":"Kabir, A. H. (2021). \u2018Network governance\u2019 and the formation of the strategic plan in the higher education sector in Bangladesh. Journal of Education Policy, 36, 455\u2013479.","journal-title":"Journal of Education Policy"},{"issue":"6","key":"1557_CR17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"46","DOI":"10.1108\/JPBAFM-10-2020-0177","volume":"34","author":"TJ Kallio","year":"2022","unstructured":"Kallio, T. J., Kallio, K.-M., Huusko, M., Pyykk\u00f6, R., & Kivist\u00f6, J. (2022). Balancing between accountability and autonomy: The impact and relevance of public steering mechanisms within higher education. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial ManagemeNt, 34(6), 46\u201368.","journal-title":"Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial ManagemeNt"},{"key":"1557_CR18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kallunki, J., Kauko, J., & Pizmony-Levy, O. (2023). Finland\u2019s ministry of education and culture in the light of its working groups. In M. Thrupp, P. Sepp\u00e4nen, J. Kauko, & S. Kosunen (Eds.), Finland\u2019s Famous Education System (pp. 35\u201350). Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-981-19-8241-5_3"},{"key":"1557_CR19","first-page":"117","volume":"9","author":"J Kallunki","year":"2015","unstructured":"Kallunki, J., Koriseva, S., & Saarela, H. (2015). Suomalaista yliopistopolitiikkaa ohjaavat perustelut tuloksellisuuden aikakaudella. Kasvatus & Aika, 9, 117\u2013133.","journal-title":"Kasvatus & Aika"},{"key":"1557_CR20","unstructured":"Kauko, J. (2011). Korkeakoulupolitiikan dynamiikat Suomessa. Helsingin yliopisto."},{"key":"1557_CR21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kauko, J. (2019). Overview of Higher Education (Finland). In J. Kauko, W. J. Jacob, & W. Xiong (Eds.), Bloomsbury Education and Childhood Studies. Bloomsbury Academic.","DOI":"10.5040\/9781350996298.0015"},{"key":"1557_CR22","unstructured":"Kivist\u00f6, J. (2007). Agency theory as a framework for the government-university relationship. Tampere University Press."},{"key":"1557_CR23","volume-title":"Governance Networks in the Public Sector","author":"EH Klijn","year":"2016","unstructured":"Klijn, E. H., & Koppenjan, J. (2016). Governance Networks in the Public Sector. Routledge."},{"key":"1557_CR24","first-page":"210","volume-title":"The SAGE Handbook of Social Network Analysis","author":"D Knoke","year":"2011","unstructured":"Knoke, D. (2011). Policy networks. In J. Scott & P. Carrington (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Social Network Analysis (pp. 210\u2013222). SAGE."},{"key":"1557_CR25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"487","DOI":"10.1093\/scipol\/scu069","volume":"42","author":"E Krick","year":"2015","unstructured":"Krick, E. (2015). Negotiated expertise in policy-making: How governments use hybrid advisory committees. Science and Public Policy, 42, 487\u2013500.","journal-title":"Science and Public Policy"},{"key":"1557_CR26","unstructured":"Lampinen, O. (2003). Suomen koulutusj\u00e4rjestelm\u00e4n kehitys. Gaudeamus."},{"key":"1557_CR27","first-page":"60","volume-title":"Order and Conflict in Contemporary Capitalism","author":"G Lehmbruch","year":"1984","unstructured":"Lehmbruch, G. (1984). Concertation and the structure of corporatist networks. In J. Goldthorpe (Ed.), Order and Conflict in Contemporary Capitalism (pp. 60\u201380). Clarendon Press."},{"key":"1557_CR28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1204","DOI":"10.1080\/13501760903332761","volume":"16","author":"P Marier","year":"2009","unstructured":"Marier, P. (2009). The power of institutionalized learning: The uses and practices of commissions to generate policy change. Journal of European Public Policy, 16, 1204\u20131223.","journal-title":"Journal of European Public Policy"},{"key":"1557_CR29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"127","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sbspro.2013.05.061","volume":"79","author":"B Mikulskiene","year":"2013","unstructured":"Mikulskiene, B., & Pitrenaite-Zileniene, B. (2013). Management of participation practice: Reconstruction of Lithuania\u2019s formal policy networks by means of social network analysis. Procedia \u2013 Social and Behavioural Sciences, 79, 127\u2013140.","journal-title":"Procedia \u2013 Social and Behavioural Sciences"},{"key":"1557_CR30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"235","DOI":"10.3384\/rela.2000-7426.ojs844","volume":"11","author":"M Milana","year":"2019","unstructured":"Milana, M., Tronca, L., & Klatt, G. (2019). European governance in adult education: On the comparative advantage of joining working groups and networks. European Journal For Research On The Education And Learning Of Adults, 11, 235\u2013261.","journal-title":"European Journal For Research On The Education And Learning Of Adults"},{"key":"1557_CR31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"305","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.polisci.5.112701.184858","volume":"5","author":"O Molina","year":"2002","unstructured":"Molina, O., & Rhodes, M. (2002). Corporatism: The past, present, and future of a concept. Annual Review of Political Science, 5, 305\u2013331.","journal-title":"Annual Review of Political Science"},{"key":"1557_CR32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"229","DOI":"10.1093\/jopart\/mum015","volume":"18","author":"KG Provan","year":"2008","unstructured":"Provan, K. G., & Kenis, P. (2008). Modes of network governance: Structure, management, and effectiveness. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 18, 229\u2013252.","journal-title":"Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory"},{"key":"1557_CR33","unstructured":"Rhodes, R. A. W. (1997). Understanding governance: Policy networks, governance, reflexivity and accountability. Open University Press."},{"key":"1557_CR34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rhodes, R. A. W. (2006). Policy network analysis. In M. Moran, M. Rein, & R. E. Goodin (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of public policy (pp. 425\u2013447). Oxford University Press.","DOI":"10.1093\/oxfordhb\/9780199548453.003.0020"},{"key":"1557_CR35","unstructured":"Rhodes, R. A. W. (2011). Everyday life in British government. Oxford University Press."},{"key":"1557_CR36","unstructured":"Rommetvedt, H. (2017). Scandinavian corporatism in decline. In O. Knutsen (Ed.), The Nordic models in political science: Challenged, but still viable? (pp. 171\u2013192). Fagbokforlaget."},{"key":"1557_CR37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"99","DOI":"10.1177\/095207670602100408","volume":"21","author":"M Rowe","year":"2006","unstructured":"Rowe, M., & McAllister, L. (2006). The roles of commissions of inquiry in the policy process. Public Policy And Administration, 21, 99\u2013115.","journal-title":"Public Policy And Administration"},{"key":"1557_CR38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Saint-Martin, D. (2014). Expertise. In L. Boussaguet, S. Jacquot, & P. Ravinet (Eds.), Dictionnaire des politiques publiques: 4e \u00e9dition pr\u00e9c\u00e9d\u00e9e d\u2019un nouvel avant-propos (pp. 266\u2013274). Presses de Sciences Po.","DOI":"10.3917\/scpo.bouss.2014.01.0266"},{"key":"1557_CR39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4135\/9781529682571","volume-title":"Qualitative content analysis in practice","author":"M Schreier","year":"2012","unstructured":"Schreier, M. (2012). Qualitative content analysis in practice. Sage."},{"key":"1557_CR40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"327","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-031-25867-1_14","volume-title":"Comparative higher education politics","author":"M Vukasovic","year":"2023","unstructured":"Vukasovic, M. (2023). Interest groups and intermediary structures in higher education policy in Western Europe. In J. Jungblut (Ed.), Comparative higher education politics (pp. 327\u2013357). Springer International Publishing."},{"key":"1557_CR41","unstructured":"V\u00e4limaa, J. (2012). The corporatization of national universities in Finland. In B. Pusser, K. Kempner, S. Marginson, & I. Ordorika (Eds.), Universities and the public sphere: Knowledge creation and state building in the era of globalization (pp. 101\u2013119). Routledge."},{"key":"1557_CR42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"239","DOI":"10.1111\/1467-9477.12128","volume":"41","author":"J Vesa","year":"2018","unstructured":"Vesa, J., Kantola, A., & Binderkrantz, A. S. (2018). A stronghold of routine corporatism? The involvement of interest groups in policy making in Finland. Scandinavian Political Studies, 41, 239\u2013261.","journal-title":"Scandinavian Political Studies"}],"container-title":["Higher Education"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s10734-025-01557-2.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s10734-025-01557-2\/fulltext.html","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s10734-025-01557-2.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,18]],"date-time":"2025-10-18T04:50:56Z","timestamp":1760763056000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/10.1007\/s10734-025-01557-2"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,18]]},"references-count":42,"alternative-id":["1557"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s10734-025-01557-2","relation":{},"ISSN":["0018-1560","1573-174X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0018-1560","type":"print"},{"value":"1573-174X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,18]]},"assertion":[{"value":"27 June 2024","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"5 October 2025","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"18 October 2025","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"order":1,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}},{"value":"The authors declare no competing interests.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}]}}