The opaque transparency : depthless governance

The article is devoted to an analysis of the equivocal role played by transparency in the current scenario of European education and, particularly, higher education This concept is often presented by the governance at different levels – international, national, and local – as a tool for managing public administration in a more efficient way But, if we look more thoroughly, transparency turned out a strong paradigm for shaping instruction, teaching and research, showing a strong impact on the very idea of our idea of education In this framework, by referring to a plurality of different sources – institutional documents and academic literature rooted in different fields of study –, the article develops a conversation with relevant authors, such as Lyotard, Han and Paul Valéry, and it proposes an image of comparative education as a refined key for understanding – and living in a world marked by plurality, where differences and details are the most important elements.