Evolution of postgraduate organization in State of Libya An analytical historical study of Regulatory Legislation with Administrative transformations

Abstract

The aim of this research is to analyze the historical development of legislation regulating postgraduate studies in State of Libya since the issuance of Law No. (37) of 1977 until 2024, and to clarify the implications of administrative and educational policies on the performance of universities and academies, and to reveal the most prominent current challenges facing the progress of postgraduate studies, leading to the derivation of future paths for development. The research was based on four main questions focusing on: stages of legislative development, the impact of policies on institutional performance, existing challenges, and possible prospects and paths for reform. The researcher adopted a historical-analytical approach, examining and comparing laws published in the official gazette, regulations, and government decisions, and reviewing previous studies that addressed issues of higher education and postgraduate studies in Libya. This approach contributed to tracing the chronological context of the legislation, analyzing its contents, revealing its strengths and weaknesses, and comparing it with the changes that have taken place in the field of postgraduate studies in the higher education sector.

            The research found that legislation governing postgraduate studies was inconsistent and fragmented, with some laws being overly general and lacking clear implementation mechanisms, while other partial decisions addressed specific issues without rising to the level of comprehensive reform. The results also showed that administrative and educational policies were reflected in the performance of universities in terms of weak coordination, multiple interpretations, and varying levels of quality, which negatively affected the outputs of scientific research. Among the most prominent current challenges identified were: the absence of a unified national vision for graduate studies, weak sustainable funding, the inability to curb the brain drain, and fragmented regulations. The research concluded with recommendations calling for the drafting of a comprehensive and unified national law for graduate studies that integrates previous scattered texts and enhances governance and transparency, with the establishment of a national observatory for university legislation, the allocation of independent budgets linked to clear performance indicators, and the activation of national and international partnerships that contribute to raising the quality of research programs and linking them to sustainable development priorities in Libya.