Analysis of Higher Education Policy Changes Due to COVID-19: The Case of Bulgaria

Abstract

The paper reviews and analyzes the factors influencing higher education public poli­cy, and the impact of COVID-19 as a possible catalyst of change. The paper creates a definition of the public policy change and examines documents that carry public policy weight, assessing whether they represent changes in public policy which is a direct response to COVID-19. At the outset of the pandemic, the Bulgarian higher education sector was characterized by rigid accred­itation standards, reliance on traditional forms of instruction, and poor use of technology and distance learning methods. The authors argue that the pandemic represents an unprecedented and currently underutilized window of opportunity for reforming the education sector and prac­tices – especially where there does not seem to be political will or societal readiness to address – an opportunity that is currently not being utilized. The case is made that the pandemic can (and should) be used to provide the extra push to modernize educational models so that the sector emerges stronger and more resilient for the future.